To Break A Curse
by TwilightFan2694
Summary: Edward is a young captain of a pirate ship. However, there is an amulet that the ship's captain is compelled to wear. When Bella is captured, will she break the curse, or is she doomed to fail? And will she find something that she never expected to find?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**AN: Please go easy on me. This is my first fanfic, and it might not start off great, but it does get better later. The summary below is what I originally wanted to use for the story, but it was a bit too long. It doesn't really tell anything important about the story.  
**

Summary: Edward is a young captain of a pirate ship, previously owned by his father. However, there is an amulet that all captains of the ship feel compelled to wear. It was cursed by an evil sorcerer named James, who held a grudge against Edward's father. The amulet makes the wearer a heartless monster with no conscience. The solution would be to simply take it off, but that is impossible. Once you put it on, you never want to take it off. Bella is the daughter of the enforcer of the seas, Charlie swan. One day, her ship is attacked and she is taken prisoner by Edward. Will she be able to reach his heart and break the curse once and for all or will he end up killing her like he has killed countless others?

**Preface: Somewhere in the seven seas, 1801**

Edward's POV

I was very confused. I remember seeing a very scary young man in a dark cloak appear on board the deck of our ship, but I honestly had no idea how he got on board or who he was. He said he needed to talk to my father. I had watched as he was led into my father's cabin. The two men had been in there for hours talking, and sometimes even yelling. There was some issue with a woman named Victoria. It sounded as if my father had done something bad with this woman that had angered James. Maybe Victoria had been James's special someone, and my dad had taken her away? Suddenly, the yelling was a lot louder. I could hear the voices clearly. "She was my wife and you had some nerve taking her away and forcing her to be your slave. You probably used her as you pleased and tossed her overboard when you were done with her. I swear you will pay for taking her away from me!" I heard James yell. I was scared for my father, and for everyone on board. I had a bad feeling about this meeting, and I was always right. I might be a five year old boy, but I had good instincts.

"What did you expect of me? I am a pirate after all!" my father yelled back. This wasn't good. My father took pride in being the best pirate in all the seven seas, but his boasting was just going to get him in trouble. At this I heard the man named James roar in anger.

"With this amulet, I curse you and all future captains of this ship! You will all feel compelled to wear this amulet, which will blacken your hearts and turn you into a monster!" I decided that now was a good time to peek in the window. I saw James holding a bright red glowing amulet over his head and force it around my father's neck. My father stopped trying to fight as soon as it was around his neck. I heard James cackle evilly and start to walk back to the door. I ducked out of the window as fast as I could and scampered off.

Later on, my father came to see me on the deck. I knew from looking into his eyes that this was not the loving father I knew. There was a coldness in his eyes that was not there before. He smacked me across the face and told me that I should be working as hard as the rest of the crew and that I was a worthless piece of crap. Tears formed in my eyes and spilled over. This earned me another smack, in which my father proceeded to tell me to man up. I swore I would never be like him. He became the type of man who killed mercilessly and cared about no one. I did my best to avoid him and tell myself that someday I would be a better captain. Little did know that it was not my father's fault.

**An island somewhere in the middle of the ocean. 1812 **

I just turned 16 a week ago and got to spend my birthday avoiding the wrath of my father. He had grown worse in his anger over the years and was now the most feared man in all the seven seas. He used to be known for his generosity and kindness. Now he was known for his cruelty and anger. Today, I was amidst the rest of the crew, when we noticed another pirate ship nearby. "Ships ahoy off the starboard bow." I turned to look to the right hand side rear of the ship. There was indeed a ship there. It was the Broken Twilight. My father glared daggers at it and ordered us to attack it. We pulled up to the side of the opposing ship and began to prepare to board it. The other crew was in a frenzy, preparing themselves for our attack.

It wasn't long before there was a full out fight going on. I had drawn my sword to fend off these pirates. I hated when this happened, for I was not a fan of killing. I saw a tall man coming at me from the right out of the corner of my eye. I spun to face him, bringing my sword up to parry the blow that had been aimed at my head. The man pulled his blade back and aimed for my legs. I jumped over the blade and swung at his left side. He had left it unprotected with that last swing. The man winced as my blade bit into his ribs. It was not a killing blow. No, I wouldn't kill him. I couldn't bring myself to kill him unless there was no other choice. He swiped at me again, but I caught his blade with mine, jerked it out of the way, and punched him squarely in the face. The man fell back to the deck, unconscious. I

I moved on, fighting a countless number of opponents. I only killed when I couldn't avoid it. In the middle of the fight, I saw my father, with his glowing red amulet, fall to another man's sword. "Nooo, father!" I cried. I may have felt that he was a cruel man, but I still loved my father. I ran to his side as he took his dying breaths.

"Son, as you are my only child, you are therefore, the next captain of this ship. Take this amulet," he said as he took the amulet off and handed it to me. "And become the captain that I wasn't." I saw the kindness return to my father's eyes as he took his last breaths. I saw the light leave his eyes, and that was that. I felt a power surge through me, and I felt different. I felt powerful, but I also felt numb. I saw the death and destruction around me, but I did nothing to stop it. I felt nothing watching all of those men around me die. It didn't occur to me that this was the exact opposite as the way I had felt a few minutes ago. I felt powerful, and I planned to use that power to achieve my own ends. I wanted to be feared. With that, I became captain of the Midnight Eclipse.

***Please review. I value your opinions and this is my first fanfic, so I would really appreciate comments. I have more written, but I want some reviews before I update again. So, review, tell me if this story is worth continuing or not. =)***


	2. Chapter 1: Attack!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer**_  
_

*_A big thank you to everyone that reviewed! I really appreciate the support. Special thanks to **imarriededward** for being my unofficial beta for this story. I couldn't do it without you! As thanks for all the support I've been given, I am updating sooner than i had planned. I probably won't update this often in the future, but I decided to this time around. Another note, I have opened a poll on my profile about an idea I had. Please feel free to vote. *_

**Chapter 1: Attack!**

**The British Patrol Ship, Wolf Tail, 1814**

Bella's POV

My name is Isabella Swan. I am 18 years old, and the only child of Charlie Swan, captain of the British Patrol ship, Wolf Tail. His job is to seek out and destroy pirate ships on the open seas. He is one of the best in the business. Unfortunately, even he is afraid of encountering the Midnight Eclipse. That ship is well known for being run by the cruelest pirate in existence, Edward Cullen. I figure that he must be at least 40 years old to be such a well known pirate, but what do I know of these things? My father and his crew hate the idea of having a woman aboard the ship, for fear of putting them in danger, but my father agreed to let me join the crew. My mother, Renee, died when giving birth to me, leaving my father to raise me. Since he knew I would have to be raised on board the ship, he taught me swordplay at a very early age. I was easily the best swordsman on the entire ship.

The day had been going by as usual, my dad even took the time to practice swordplay with me, despite the fact that he knew he could not beat me. The look outs had not detected anything so far, and I was bored. I had taken to sitting in my cabin and reading a book. I was currently reading Romeo and Juliet, one of my favorite books. I may be a fighter at heart, but I loved to read. I was just finishing the story for the fifth time, when I heard it. The look out shouted "Pirate ship off to port!" I stood up, grabbed my sword, and exited the cabin. I knew that the sight of a pirate ship meant a fight was coming. I just hoped that this fight would go well for us.

As soon as I was on deck, I knew something was wrong. My father looked scared for the first time ever. "What's wrong dad?" I asked as I approached him.

"Bella! Go back in the cabin and don't come out until it's safe! That ship is the Midnight Eclipse, and I don't know how the fight will go!" Charlie shouted at me. I felt a shiver of fear roll down by spine. This would be the hardest battle we would ever fight, and there was a very good chance that no one would make it out of this alive. I just shook my head at my dad, insisting that we would stand a better chance of victory with me fighting with the rest of the crew. Should I hide and wait until it was over, and should we lose, I would be no better off than if I had fought and died alongside the rest of the crew. "Fine! I don't like it, but there isn't time to argue! Just know that I love you, no matter the outcome of this fight!" I didn't like the sound of Charlie's words. It was like he was saying goodbye, as if he knew that we would lose.

Captain! They're boarding us!" I heard a crewman call. I drew my sword and prepared to fight alongside my father. The crew of the Midnight Eclipse was fair where it came to swordplay, but they were no match for me. I fought until they were all defeated around me. It was then that I noticed my father doing battle with a young man. This man was easily the most handsome man I had ever met. He had messy bronze colored hair, strong, but not overly bulging muscles, and piercing green eyes. However, his eyes held nothing but coldness in them. With the skill he fought with. I knew that he must be the captain. I was surprised, because he looked to be no older than me. At most, I might have said he was twenty.

The sight I saw next would cause me to have nightmares for weeks. I saw my father falter for a second, and the next thing I knew, the sword of the handsome young man, who must've been Edward Cullen, was sticking through my father's chest. I cried out for him as he fell to his knees and then collapsed on the ground, dead. I pushed my grief aside and let my anger at the young captain take over. I wanted revenge for my father's death, and I was going to fight the captain until the death.

The young man turned around as I started to charge toward him. He had heard my cry and seemed surprised for a moment to see me coming at him with a sword. The surprise quickly disappeared and turned into that coldness that I had seen as he killed my father. "You killed my father, and now I am going to kill you!" I yelled at him as I swung my sword. He blocked me quickly, and we began our fight. It seemed we were evenly matched. For every lunge or swing I got in, he parried, and vice versa. Neither of us was gaining an edge. However, I was growing tired faster than he was. I knew I most likely wouldn't get my revenge, and that I would probably die at the hands of this cruel man. I barely acknowledged that the rest of the fight was over on the ship. I was the last crewman standing from the Wolf Tail, and I wouldn't last much longer. I knew that the only reason I hadn't been ganged up on was because their captain was fighting me and would probably have anyone's head if they interfered. I felt my swings growing weaker and my parries holding his sword away less and less. He noticed too, and he continued to batter away at my sword until it finally fell away from my grasp. I tried to regain it before it was too late, but he kicked it out of my reach and held his sword to my chest. I looked into his eyes. For a moment, I thought I could see a look of confusion cross his face. He seemed to be considering something. After a minute, he had clearly decided what he was going to do with me, and it was worse than death. "Tie her up and take her as a slave!" he bellowed to his crew.

A burly man with large muscles stepped forward and began to attempt to tie me up gently, which was nearly impossible since I was struggling with all of my might. "I'm sorry lass," he whispered. "My name is Emmett if you need anyone to talk to on our ship. My wife and I would be glad to talk with you, as well as another couple on board. Not all of us are cruel men like the captain. As a matter of fact, he was as kind a man as they come until he became captain. I truly am sorry. What's your name?"

He seemed like a good man, so I decided to trust him. "Bella," I replied. He nodded and finished gently tying the ropes around my wrists and ankles. He picked me up gently and carried me over to the Midnight Eclipse, and left me in the cargo hold. He let me know that the captain always spoke to any slaves before doing anything with them, and that it would be wise for me to be careful what I said to him, because most slaves wound up being thrown into the ocean to drown. I flinched at that thought. I was now dreading the time that the dear old captain would come to interrogate me. As soon as Emmett left, I let myself wallow in the grief over my father's death that I had repressed before. I cried it out until my tears ran dry. After that, I tried to fix my appearance so as not to look like a weak little girl in front of the captain. I would show him that I could not be broken. Despite what Emmett warned me of, I was determined not to look like a weakling in front of that cold-hearted murderer. He would pay for what he did to my father, and I would make sure that my father was avenged, one way or another.

***Review please! Let's try for the double digits by the time I post the next chapter! If you ask, I might even give you a sneak peek of the next chapter!***


	3. Chapter 2: Meetings and Interrogations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**AN: I must say that I was hoping for a few more reviews, but a big thank you to those of you who did review. The time you took to tell your thoughts were greatly appreciated. And I would like to thank _imarriededward_ once again for proofreading for me and putting up with my insecurities on this story.  
**

**Chapter 2: Meetings and Interrogations**

Bella's POV

I sat in the cargo hold for hours. I was cold, tired, and hungry, but I had to stay strong. Captain Edward Cullen would be coming down here to interrogate me later, and who knows what else, but I refused to let him see me weak. He was my father's murderer, and I hated him for it. As I sat there, stewing in my anger, I heard a creak from above. The doors to the cargo hold opened, and there he was. The captain himself was looming in the doorway. I glared at him, and he glared back. I registered that he looked prepared to resort to torture to get his questions answered.

"Hello slave. I assume you already know who I am, Edward Cullen, captain of the Midnight Eclipse. I want to know, how exactly you learned to fight so well?" he questioned. I just glared at him and clenched my hands into fists. He seemed to become even more angry at this. "You had better answer me, because I can make your life a living hell, or I can make you die a slow and painful death!" he shouted.

"Fine!" I hissed. "My father raised me on the seas, and taught me to fight as he feared for my safety. I eventually surpassed everyone I knew with the sword and I kept my skills sharp. Keep that in mind, because someday I will make sure you suffer for murdering my father!"

The man had the nerve to laugh at me. "I am sure you will," he chuckled. I growled at him and he turned to glare at me again. "Now, as a slave, we must establish your duties. You are to scrub the decks and clean the ship until it is good as new. Then you are to keep up with ship repairs and make sure that the ship stays clean. As a woman, you are at risk on this ship, but I tell you now, if my crew decides that they want you, I will not act to stop them!" I shuddered slightly at his words, but I did my best to keep my actions under control. I glared at him and then spat at his feet. "You insolent little creature! I'll teach you not to disrespect the captain!" he yelled. The following hour passed in a haze of pain. He had me chained up and beat about a bit until I was sore. He made sure to leave it so that I would still be able to work.

As soon as Edward left, Emmett and a beautiful young woman descended to come to me. "Oh, you poor dear!" the woman exclaimed. She was tall, and blonde with beautiful blue eyes that were sharp like pieces of ice. I assumed from Emmett's protective stance that this was his wife, Rosalie. "Really, I didn't know Edward had gotten this bad,' she said. I frowned. From what I had seen, Edward was plain old cruel and cold.

"I thought he was always like this. He seemed exactly the same when he killed my father!" I said bitterly.

Rosalie looked at me kindly and bent down to hug me. "He wasn't always like this. He was the kindest of men until he took over for his father. His father had been kind too, until one night when an evil sorcerer named James came on board. His father became cold and cruel, and it was then that Edward swore never to be like his father," Rose explained. "Things changed when his father died in battle and passed the title of captain over to Edward. The change was instantaneous. Emmett and I knew him from the time he was 15. He hadn't changed yet, by this time. His father always wore that creepy glowing amulet too! When he died, Edward began wearing it too, and no one has ever seen him take it off. Sometimes he is seen to be sort of caressing it, like it was some precious treasure. I don't like it. The rest of the crew aren't all bad. If you stick close to Em and I, you should be fine."

I felt a little overwhelmed by Edward's story. Maybe it wasn't his fault that he was this way? It sounded as if he was cursed, and I had a feeling that the amulet had something to do with that. The solution was simple, break the curse, but how would one go about doing that? I thanked Rose and Em for their kindness and help, and then resumed my thoughts as they left. There was something evil on board this ship, I could feel it, and I wasn't going to stop until things on the Midnight Eclipse were back to normal.

Edward's POV

I had gone down to interrogate the girl we had captured and to tell her of her duties a few hours ago. I had noticed that she had spirit and was a kindhearted person. A part of me admired her for that, but it was a very small part of me. She confused me greatly. I felt things that I couldn't remember ever feeling before. I had punished her for speaking so rudely to me before, but oddly enough, I kind of felt bad for having to treat her so. I don't know what it was that made me want to be kind to her. That just wasn't my way. I didn't want to think of it any more, so I sat and looked at my precious amulet. The light appeared to be glowing a little dimmer, which caused me to frown. That had never happened before. I had a feeling that a lot of things were going to change now that the girl was on board.

I sighed and stood up. I knew that Emmett, my first mate, had been friendly to the girl, and probably knew her name at least. I scouted out all of the information about her I could. Isabella Swan, or Bella as she preferred to be called, would be an important figure on board this ship, I could feel it. Would her influence be for good or for ill?

As I settled in for the night, an old forgotten memory surfaced in my brain. I remembered myself as a little boy, watching my loving father morph into a monster, and then an older me make a vow not to follow in my father's footsteps. I reflected and realized that that was exactly what I had done. I had chosen to follow after my father, but I didn't remember actually making the choice. I only remembered it already being made. What had happened to me? And why was I beginning to question things now? The answer to that last had to do with the weird way that Bella Swan made me feel. Now I just needed to know the answer to that first, and how to change it.

Just as quickly as that thought had been made, the amulet flashed as brightly as it ever had before, and I laughed my questions off. I was being weak, and I couldn't afford to be weak. Those memories were of me when I was pathetic, and I had long since decided that my vow was stupid. I felt power flow through my veins and I smiled. There was no way that any one was going to make me change my ways, not even Isabella Swan. I was prepared to ward her off and to take action as necessary. My moment of weakness was over, and the strong me was back and ready to go.

***Please review. I'm starting to get the impression that my story isn't very good. Even if you have a negative comment, I still want to hear it. I'm desperate people. Just take a few seconds of your time to make a quick comment. It doesn't have to be long. I won't update for a while if I don't get plenty of reviews. I'm serious this time. The more reviews I get, the sooner I will update, and you want me to hurry along because I have some good ideas for future chapters. So, review, you know you want to click the button and leave a brief comment. If I have received at least 7 reviews for this chapter by 8-10-10, I will post the next chapter, but otherwise, it might be a few days.*  
**


	4. Chapter 3: Friends and Enemies

**AN: A Big thank you to _imarriededward_ for her dedication to all of my stories. I appreciate the time you take to review and in this story's case, to proofread it. **

**On another note, I recently started a new story called _All's Fair in Love and War. _Please, check it out and review. You might like it if you like this story so far. Edward is a prince, and Bella is a member of the rebellion. Check it out! =) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I wish I did, then again, I wish I had an Edward Cullen and I don't see that happening... too bad wishes don't always come true. Oh well, at least I own this plot line. Now, on with the story!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 3: Friends and Enemies**

Bella's POV

I had been in the cargo hold for about two hours after Rose and Em left. The whole time, I had been thinking about Edward Cullen. I was supposed to hate him for killing my father, but instead, I pitied him. The poor man didn't seem like he was in control of himself. I would have said he had a multiple personality disorder if I hadn't known that the only time he wavered in his cruelty was when he was dealing with me. I had found out through Rose during her second visit that Edward had been asking about me.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sudden light streaming into the room. I looked up to see the man in question stride over to me with a broom in his hands. He held the broom out to me and said, "Well slave, I think it is time that I put you to work. I want you to sweep the floor down here and when you finish, I want you to wash the decks. You should have been put to work hours ago. The only reason you weren't is because I didn't want you moping about too much over your father's death! It would have affected your handiwork or slowed you down!" I translated that to mean that he was being nice and giving me a little time to mourn my father.

I reached for the broom with a grimace and started sweeping. He stared at me for another minute or two before abruptly turning around and leaving. The bright glow of his pendant flickered a bit as he turned to leave. I wasn't sure if I was imagining it or not, but the light in the amulet seemed to be a little dimmer. I shook my head to clear it of such thoughts and concentrated on sweeping.

About a half hour later, I found myself coming up on deck to find a bucket of soapy water and a brush for scrubbing the floor. I wondered if I should make a break for it and try swimming in hopes of finding land, but I decided that I wasn't that desperate yet. I started scrubbing the floors behind crew quarters, all the while grumbling profanities under my breath.

I had only covered a tiny portion of the deck floor when a shadow caught my attention. This surprised me because it was rare for anyone to go behind crew quarters. There was no reason to, which also made me wonder why I was supposed to begin scrubbing the decks back here. I looked up to see a very tiny pixie-like girl standing before me. She had short, spiky black hair that complimented her ocean blue eyes. She was beaming at me.

"Hi I'm Alice Brandon Whitlock, but you can just call me Alice! You must be Bella! Emmett and Rosalie told me and Jazz all about you! By the way, this is my husband, Jasper Whitlock." She said all of this in about one breath. I realized that I had been too busy staring at her in surprise to notice the man she said was her husband. Jasper was tall, blond, brown-eyed, and very calm looking. The opposite of Alice.

"It's nice to meet you," was my only reply. Alice scared me a little, but I figured that she must be okay since she had mentioned Rose and Emmett telling her all about me.

Her smile widened. "I'm sure we'll be the best of friends Bella!" I chose not to answer that comment. I highly doubted that I could ever be best friends with someone as excitable as Alice, but I didn't want to make her think that I didn't like her. To be honest, I liked Alice a lot and was just afraid of the enthusiasm she had.

"Bella, has anyone taken the time to tell you who you should avoid on this ship, and who you can trust?" Alice asked. She looked suddenly serious, so I guessed that she must have noticed my surprise when I first saw her and was just getting to it. I shook my head. "You poor girl. Well, you can trust me of course, as well as Jazzy here. I know that you already know that you can trust Em and Rose. The only other people that you can really trust would be Edward's uncle, Doctor Carlisle Cullen, and his wife, Esme Other people on this ship are not worth mentioning because they will pretty much ignore you, but there are a few who would cause you harm. Trust me, us girls have to stick together, and a few of the men on board are pigs. Rose and I have to deal with them all of the time, and we're married! If I were you, I would stay as far from Mike Newton and his gang as you can."

I took her words to heart. I would try to stay away from Mike Newton, if I could. There might not be a way for me to completely avoid him. I thanked Alice and hugged her briefly before she left. I also found myself shaking hands with the ever quiet Jasper. He hadn't said a word to me so far, so I was a bit surprised when he spoke to me before following after his wife.

"Bella, I know all of the recent events must be hard on you, but I am glad you are here. I've noticed a visible change in Edward since he met you. He's a bit more like the old Edward sometimes. Most of the crew weren't around back then, but Edward used to be the nicest guy around before he became captain. The change was so sudden too! I thank you for the positive changes in our captain, and I hope you can bring the old Edward back." With those words, he left leaving me with my mouth hanging open in shock. So, I wasn't the only one who noticed Edward behaving a little differently toward me, even though he was still cruel… and the knowledge that he used to be kind before becoming captain was definitely odd. I'd think about all this later. Edward would not be pleased if I was found to be shirking my duty, and I didn't want to incur his wrath again today.

As the sun began to sink below the horizon, another figure approached me. This time, it was a lone man. He was blond haired, blue eyed, and of a medium build. He grinned at me as he approached.

"Well, hello beautiful. What's a girl like you doing all alone out here with no one to keep her company? I would be glad to take care of that." The man's voice scared me. It wasn't so much the tone or the words themselves. It was the underlying meaning behind those words and the subtle threat in his tone combined. He wasn't really giving me a choice of whether I wanted company or not.

"Who are you?" I asked. I was proud that my voice did not shake as I spoke to this man. Goosebumps began to form on my arms. I was scared. I knew that no one would help me get away from this man. I had a suspicion as to his identity, and it wasn't looking good for me.

"The name is Mike Newton. I bet that little friend of yours told you all about me! Of course, it is too late for you to do anything, so I suggest you stay silent. It's either you stay silent or I make you stay silent. Your choice."

He grabbed my arm and pushed me up against the back of the nearest cabin. I squirmed, trying to get away. It was useless though. He was much too strong for me. He started pulling at my clothes. I fought against him harder, but he didn't budge. I was about to give up when he was wrenched off of me. At first I thought that it was Emmett or Jasper here to save me. I couldn't tell who it was for it had grown dark quickly after Mike had walked over to me. I could only see the man's silhouette as he wrestled with Mike. I knew it wasn't Emmett because the man was not large enough, but it still could have been Jasper. The fight seemed to last forever, with Mike being thrown overboard in the end. No one called "man overboard" to rescue him, and that was when I started to realize who it was that saved me.

My suspicions were confirmed as Edward walked toward me, his eyes aflame with fury. They softened as he noticed my terrified expression. "Are you alright?" he asked. I nodded slightly. I wasn't really paying attention to him anymore. I had noticed a change in his amulet. It had glowed a bright red earlier this evening, and now it was a very faint glow. The amulet intrigued me, for it seemed to reflect his mood. Or maybe it was the cause of his mood? Was it the amulet that made him cruel? He had inherited it when his father died and he became captain. It would make sense.

Edward noticed that I wasn't really paying attention to him. He frowned and the amulet glowed a little brighter. I decided not to press him too far.

"Yes, I'm okay. Thank you for saving me!" I told him. He seemed appeased for now.

"Why don't you go to the kitchen and eat with the other girls now? I'll escort you there." his suggestion was a kind one, and one that confused me. His sudden kindness made me think that there might be hope for him after all, just like Jasper had.

I walked beside him to the kitchen in silence, wondering why he had saved me from Mike. He had told me earlier that this might happen and that he would not act to stop it. I didn't know why he had a change of heart, but I was very thankful for it. I was very determined to find a way to make Edward Cullen become the man he was said to have been only a few years previous. I would help him be a good man again. I knew that he could become cruel again at any time, but his wavering meant that the good side of him still existed, and I would bring that part back to him in full force!

Edward's POV

I walked beside Bella in silence. Why had I saved her? I had told her I wouldn't before, and yet I saved her. Why was I now escorting her to the kitchen for dinner when she was supposed to be my slave? I didn't have the answers to these questions. The only thought in my head was "I need her," and that thought confused me. I felt different with her around. I felt weaker, but I also felt stronger, if that made any sense. I didn't have the same power I had before she came along, but I felt a different power too. I thought that it might be love, but love was impossible. I didn't believe in it. My beautiful amulet didn't glow as brightly as before, and that should have concerned me, but right now, I only cared about taking care of Bella. My head was so confused right now. I decided not to think about it until later. I already felt the old power returning, already saw my amulet growing brighter. I would think of these things later. For now, I had to take care of Bella.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, now be kind and hit the review button. Let me know what you liked, what you hated, etc. =) And once again, feel free to check out my other story, on my profile page. Cheers!**


	5. Chapter 4: Progress

**AN: Thanks to all of you faithful reviewers. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and letting me know what you think of this story so far. This next chapter isn't the best, but I promise that some action is coming up soon. I'd like to thank _imarriededward_ once again for her advice and proofreading skills. I would also like to point any readers to my other story, All's Fair In Love and War. And please, if you read my other story, vote on the poll because I am currently faced with a 3 way tie and cannot update until the tie is broken. =) **

**On another note, there is a mystery point of view in this chapter. I hope you like the little surprise, I certainly hadn't been planning to include it. =)  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters, but Stephenie Meyer is letting me mess around with them for a little while. = )**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4: Progress**

Bella's POV

Edward and I arrived at the door to the kitchen after a few minutes of silent pondering, on my part at least. Although, from his silence, I was beginning to think that Edward had been lost in thought as well. He opened the door for me and we entered.

The smell of beef stew hit my nose and my stomach rumbled. Apparently Edward noticed the noise because he suddenly looked at me with a hint of amusement in his eyes. That was a first. I had never seen this man amused before. I didn't even know that he could find anything funny.

"Sounds like someone's hungry! I guess I haven't been feeding you enough. I am sorry about that." I looked at him in surprise, and sure enough, he seemed to look slightly remorseful. I just nodded my acceptance of his apology. I didn't know what to say, so I remained silent.

The other girls had already eaten and left the kitchen, so I had expected to dine alone. To my surprise, Edward decided to sit and eat with me. I wasn't sure if I liked that idea, or if it just made me extremely uncomfortable. When the meal began in silence, I decided to go with extremely uncomfortable. I mean, why eat with someone if you are just going to remain silent the whole time! This man infuriated me! Although, I figured that I should have some patience with Edward. He had just saved me, after all.

I was surprised yet again when he started to speak. "I suppose that by now you've heard about how different I was only a few years ago, before I became captain? No doubt Emmett or Jasper told you." I looked at him curiously. Was he going to tell me his story? Or was he up to something different? He took my curiosity and lack of surprise as a confirmation that I knew the story of how he had been such a good person only a few years back.

"Well, I will admit that I was a different man. I remember that my father was always a good man, a good captain. There was a day when a strange man, named James, just appeared on the ship. There was no way to explain how he got there, he was just there. He insisted on meeting with my father. He gave him this amulet as a gift, I assume." With that, he indicated the glowing red amulet around his neck. "After that meeting, I remember that my father became a completely different person. At the time I thought he was cruel, and I vowed never to become like him."

I snorted. "Well that vow certainly did wonders for you," I muttered under my breath. He seemed to catch the drift of my thoughts because he glared at me.

"I did everything I could to prove myself to be a kind and caring individual, until I watched my father stabbed by another pirate in a fight against an enemy ship." I flinched at that image. I knew how he felt, and it was his fault that I could sympathize. He realized too and shot me a slightly apologetic look. "In his last breaths, my father gave the amulet to me and told me that I was now the captain of the Midnight Eclipse. Ever since that moment, I have followed directly in my father's footsteps." He grimaced a little at the end. Maybe he didn't truly like what had happened to him.

That's when it hit me. The cruelty really wasn't his fault! It hadn't been his father's fault either! The man, James, who had just "appeared" in the middle of the ship was not an ordinary man. There were stories that told of an evil sorcerer who lost his mate to a pirate. Apparently, he had been plotting revenge for a few years. Only a sorcerer could appear in the middle of a ship like that! And the "gift" that he gave Edward's father must have been revenge for his mate! A cursed amulet of some kind. My epiphany only lasted a moment because I was suddenly dumbfounded as to how to break the curse. I knew for sure where the curse came from, but not how to break it.

I wondered if having him take it off would help? Although, I also wondered about the glowing. Edward seemed kinder when the light was dimmer. His anger seemed to cause it to glow brighter. Maybe if the light were to go out? But how to do that?

I decided to chance it. "Edward, that amulet is quite fascinating. Do you mind if I take a closer look at it?" I asked. He seemed to actually consider for a moment, but he was quite upset a mere minute later. I had figured that it wouldn't be quite so easy.

"I can't let you look at my amulet! It's mine! Mind your own business and don't ever dare to even think of touching my precious amulet!" he yelled. I flinched slightly for the amulet had seemed to glow a little brighter again. However, after his spiel, he calmed down and the light dimmed again.

"You're right. I'm sorry for even thinking that. Of course you wouldn't want to let someone else handle your amulet, especially not a slave like me," I agreed. I had to make sure that there was no chance of him losing his control again. He nodded, seeming appeased.

As I finished my apology, he tensed. "Bella, you aren't a slave anymore. Not after the events of today. No, from now on, you are an honored guest. You will stay in my cabin, and I'll sleep outside the cabin."

He seemed happy with his decision, but I knew that even as an "honored guest" I would not be allowed to leave the ship. "Captive" would be a better term. However, I wouldn't argue. Not now that I felt that I must be making some progress at breaking the curse. I knew what had to be done, but I wasn't sure how to start. Would removing work, or would I have to find a way to extinguish the light once and for all? I would find out later. I planned to discuss this with Em, Rose, Alice, and Jasper. Maybe one of them would be able to get close enough to him to attempt to remove the amulet. For now, I would just be pleased with the progress I was making.

Edward's POV

I felt more vulnerable than I had in years, weaker in a sense. That might have bothered me if I hadn't felt stronger than ever at the same time. I really felt like I was falling for Bella, even though love was a foreign emotion to me. In all of the 18 years I had lived, I had never felt such a need to protect someone before. I knew that Bella was changing me into a different person, but I really didn't care. Maybe the changes were for the best.

I had almost let her look at my amulet, but I just couldn't bring myself to take it off, and then I was angry. I didn't even know why. I had suddenly been suspicious of her motives in asking about the amulet. I was not going to let her see it. I calmed down and accepted her apology. My behavior still confused me, but I was determined to see where things went with Bella.

I still refused to believe that I was falling in love. It just wasn't possible! Although, I had to admit that I did like the idea.

Regardless of my feelings, I was determined to figure Bella out. She was an enigma, confusing and unusual. Her behavior was completely against the grain for most people. She was much too kind, but she was clever too, in ways that I didn't even know. I felt that telling her my story might let me see a little bit more of who this strange girl was. As I talked, I had observed her reactions very carefully. She seemed like she had come to some sort of conclusion and seemed determined. So, she was brave. I could add that to the list of characteristics I had attributed to her. She was also insightful. I could tell that she had seen something in my story that no one had seen before. It was probably something even I hadn't seen before.

I sighed. I had made a little progress with deciphering Bella's character, but I still had a long way to go. For now, I would just have to keep her safe and earn her trust. I hadn't done so well with that before, and I was determined to make her forget the cruel way I had treated her earlier in the day. Progress in these areas was slow, but it was still progress, and I would have to be satisfied with it for now.

?'s POV (Some island in the ocean)

What was going on? The curse was supposed to last for all of eternity, but I could sense it was weakening. The man who had caused my pain is dead, but his son lives on. Somehow that boy is regaining control of his emotions. Someone must have figured out what was wrong and is trying to break the curse.

"Don't think it will be that easy Cullen! I will not let anyone break that curse. I may have to pay another visit to your ship to kill whoever is making progress toward breaking my unbreakable curse, but I will stop you from obtaining freedom!" I vowed.

I looked to my left at the picture of my mate Victoria. The memories flooded me and unshed tears of anger formed in my eyes. Edward Cullen Sr. had taken Victoria in one of his raids. He had let his men use her, and then he had her tossed overboard when one of the men killed her. He didn't even give me the satisfaction of killing the man who killed her as he had already had the man thrown overboard as well.

I had vowed to get my revenge on the dear old captain, then I spent over a year plotting my revenge. There was absolutely no way I was going to let anyone ruin my plans. They would make progress, but they would never succeed before I killed them. No one messed with James, the Great Sorcerer. I laughed manically. Someone was in way over their heads. I began planning my visit to the ship. I would visit in exactly two months from today. Edward Cullen would never be free of his family's curse!

* * *

**More reviews= a faster update! Reviews are like money to me, they make me feel like writing is worth it. So, take a few moments and drop a review! I promise there will be some pretty good action coming up soon, possibly in the next chapter. Cheers,=)  
**

**~Twilightfan2694~**


	6. Chapter 5: Rage and Agony

**AN: A big thank you to all of you that reviewed! I really appreciate it. I would also like to mention that I am starting a new story called Witchcraft, and I would love it if you would give that story a shot. It involves Bella being accused of witchcraft because she is too independent as a woman, and Edward realizes she is not a witch as his cousin, the King claims. So, please stop by on my profile and give it a chance. And if you are also reading All's Fair In Love and War, please vote on my poll. I cannot update until a clear choice has been made. Thank you, and sorry about the extra long author's note! =) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of these amazing characters, I can only wish I did... oh well, we can always dream. =) **

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5: Rage and Agony**

Bella's POV

About a week after the strange conversation I had with Edward, I found myself in his cabin- which I suppose I should now call my cabin. Edward had stood by what he said, and no matter how many times I protested, he slept outside his, I mean my cabin door. I was curious about that, considering he could always go and kick out any crew member from the crew cabins and sleep there instead. My best guess is that he was on guard duty. That suspicion was backed up by him escorting me from place to place on the ship. Today, he was escorting me to Alice's cabin, where I insisted he go about his duties as captain.

What Edward didn't know was that I had asked Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme to meet there as well. They were the only ones on this ship that I could trust with my thoughts, and they seemed to be among the only people that Edward tolerated without becoming snappy and cold again.

"Hi Bella! It's so good to see you again, especially since Edward has been following you around like a lost puppy in need of an attitude adjustment! It seems like we get to talk under slightly better circumstances this time," Alice chirped the moment we arrived and Edward walked off to do who knows what.

"Hey Alice. Good to see you too! Although, I don't think I understand the puppy comment. I would say he's more like a prison guard who wants to murder anyone who gets too close to me." I laughed a little at our interpretations of Edward's behavior. "I hope you don't mind that I asked the others to meet here as well? I have something I need to discuss with all of you."

Alice didn't even look surprised at my revelation. "Of course I don't mind Bella. I kind of already knew you were up to something."

I just nodded. Alice and her freaky sixth sense. How could I have forgotten? Nothing ever got passed Alice. "So, they should be here any minute now, and then I'll explain what this is all about."

She didn't even have the chance to nod before the door burst open and Emmett strode in, followed by an embarrassed looking Rosalie, a stressed looking Jasper, and a couple that I had yet to meet. Carlisle and Esme looked like a very friendly couple, despite the fact that Carlisle was Edward's uncle. They looked slightly confused, but I knew that their opinions on the matter at hand would be very important in determining a course of action.

"Hey Bella! The captain actually let you out of his sight for more than 5 minutes today?" Emmett boomed. I flushed. Was everyone going to point out Edward's strange behavior toward me. "Ouch!" Em complained as Rosalie smacked him in the head.

"Hi Bella. I'm Esme and this is my husband, Carlisle. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting you yet. Our nephew seems to be a little possessive when it comes to you. I'm guessing you have something important that needs discussing? Probably something that has to do with Edward considering his absence?"

I nodded. "It's nice to meet you Esme, Carlisle." I shook hands with both of them and then gestured for everyone to take a seat. "Okay, so I'm going to cut straight to the chase here, and avoid the long explanation. You all say that Edward changed two years ago when he became captain of the ship?" I asked. I wanted to verify that they all noticed the change. They nodded.

"Well, he also told me that his father was a very kind person too, until a visit from some mysterious guy named James. After that, he always wore the red amulet that Edward wears now. It is my guess that Edward Cullen Sr. offended James in some way and that James is a sorcerer."

Gasps went around the room until finally Carlisle found his voice. "You think my brother was cursed, and that the curse passed down to Edward?"

I nodded. "I think that the curse might be in the amulet that Edward wears. He changed after he inherited it. His father changed when he started wearing it. It has to be the amulet."

Everyone just stared at me. "So, all we have to do is make him take it off, right?" Emmett asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's not that simple. I asked him to take it off a week ago. At first, I thought he was actually going to take it off and let me examine it. He had gone so far as to reach up as if to remove it, when something changed. He became furious with me and wouldn't remove it. I had to apologize profusely before he would calm down. No, we need a plan, which is why I asked you all here." I had reached the heart of the matter.

"We need to remove it for him, then." Emmett was still taking it in stride.

Rosalie shook her head at him. "You are missing the finer points Em. If Edward reacted that much to someone simply asking him to take it off, do you honestly think that he will just stand there while we remove it? He is going to fight viciously to keep that amulet."

"I don't like this," Alice said. "I have a very bad feeling about removing that amulet. Somehow I don't think this will work."

I ignored Alice's comment. We had to try, regardless of the results. The only worry I had was that it would kill him to be separated from it. After all, his father only removed it after he was dying. But, might death be better than being trapped under a curse?

"We need to have someone sneak up on him!" Jasper suggested. "Of course, we also need someone as backup in case the first person is caught."

"That's what I thought initially, Jazz, but the person sneaking up on him needs to be a good fighter in case they are caught and need to keep him distracted for the back up. What do you think?" I asked the room in general.

Alice was still muttering about how she didn't like this idea at all and didn't want to be involved. Rosalie seemed thoughtful as she nodded slowly. I think she understood where I was going better than the others. Emmett seemed pumped, which was good, because I needed him for the plan. Jasper seemed to be in full agreement. I looked to Esme, who seemed worried, but resigned. She knew we had to try, for Edward's sake. I looked as Carlisle. Being the only relation of Edward's in the room made his acceptance the most important. It was his nephew that we were discussing after all.

"Well, I think it might work. It's worth a shot. Edward can't keep running the ship in his current state. I think that you should be the back up Bella," Carlisle said.

"Yes, that's what I was thinking too. I was actually going along the lines of having Emmett try to take the amulet from Edward when he was sleeping outside of my cabin. Emmett, you are first mate on the ship, and you are an excellent fighter. You'd have the best shot at success. Should you fail and he fights you, I'll come out of the cabin and take it while you keep him distracted." I outlined my plan in more depth and glanced around the room. The only person who was against my plan was Alice, but she understood our need to try, so she didn't argue when we decided to put the plan into action.

The only thing left to do was come up with the time for our plan to be put into action. Emmett was all for doing it tonight, but I pointed out that Edward might be a little suspicious of us having a meeting so we should wait for a few days. In the end, we decided to go through with the plan in one week, and I would work on "softening up" Edward some more, as Emmett put it. His comment had me blushing again. None of us understood why I was able to affect Edward so much more than anyone else.

We turned to discussing trivial matters until Edward turned up having finished his "captain duties" for the day. I didn't see how one could just finish being the captain for the day. I asked him about it as we left. He just laughed at me.

"Well Bella, it means I am tired of running things today and am leaving my first mate in charge unless there is an emergency," he explained. I just nodded and hid my frown. It sounded like pure laziness to me. However, I wasn't going to push him considering his amulet glowed faintly these days and he always seemed to be in a decent mood around me.

The rest of the week passed by in a blur. Every day I followed the same routine. I would wake up when Edward knocked on the door every morning, I would make myself presentable for the day, go to breakfast with Edward, and then spend the majority of the day either reading in the cabin or visiting with Alice, Rosalie, or Esme. We had become close over the last week, although I tended to avoid Alice more because I was sick of hearing "This is a bad idea Bella. Don't go through with this plan, please!" ten times a visit. Afterwards, Edward would stop by and we would have a sparring match on the deck. I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were evenly matched and usually ended up calling a draw.

I was extremely nervous about tonight. Tonight, Emmett and I would put the plan into motion after Edward went to sleep. This would either make things better, or make things worse. I tried not to think of the worse possible scenario- Edward dying. Despite the fact that I had sworn vengeance on him for killing my father, I found myself becoming more and more attached to Edward by the day. I considered him a friend, if nothing else. I would feel terrible if he died because of my foolish plan.

I made a point to visit with Emmett and Rosalie today to double check with Emmett that we still had a green light on the mission tonight. I was also worried about how Rosalie might be taking things. She had seemed so calm when we were planning, but she knew that Em could be seriously hurt if he had to fight Edward. Edward probably wouldn't kill him, but still, the plan was not without risk.

The door to their cabin opened almost as soon as I had knocked. "Hey Rose, how are you?" I asked when I saw that it was Rosalie who had opened the door for me.

She shrugged. "I've been better. I'm worried, but I agree that this needs to be done. Not to mention that Emmett is psyched about it and wouldn't be talked out of it for anything." She chuckled humorlessly. "I'll be glad when this all over with. Although, Bella, if he gets caught and is badly hurt because of this, I am holding you responsible for not putting our back up plan into motion fast enough." She shot a pointed look at me. I knew she was more concerned for her husband than she let on, but I was not going to call her out on it. I just nodded.

"I understand, Rose. I'll do my best to keep him all in one piece. Where is he, if I may ask? I wanted to go over the plan one more time before we put it into action tonight."

She jerked her head in the direction of their bedroom. "He decided to catch up on his sleep now so that he would be wide awake when he goes for the amulet tonight. If you want, you can review the plan with me and I'll go over it with him later, since I know you won't be able to check in later."

"Okay, sounds reasonable. So, Edward doesn't usually fall asleep until after midnight, so Emmett should wait until about 1 A.M. before trying to take the amulet. Edward is also a very light sleeper, so he'll have to be really cautious and make as little noise as possible. I'll pretend to be sleeping when Edward checks on me, but I'll be just on the other side of the door after that. If I hear scuffling outside, I'll come out and take the amulet from behind. After that, we don't know what will happen. Just in case, I'll have my sword right inside the doorway. Em might need help if nothing happens." I finished refreshing her memory of the details.

"Right," she nodded. "In a nutshell, Emmett needs to be extremely cautious after midnight. If he gets caught, you come out and attack from behind. If Em needs help, you have your sword nearby to keep him safe. All in all, not a bad plan. However, I'll still be relieved when this is all done and over with."

I knew Edward would be coming to pick me up soon. We'd been talking for about two hours now, and he usually showed up around this time for our sparring match. I stood up and hugged Rosalie.

"Everything will work out and Em will be fine. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to him. You'd have my head otherwise!" I did my best to lighten the mood. I think it worked to a degree because Rose nodded and laughed a bit. She pulled away smiling faintly.

"Thanks Bella! I'm counting on you to keep my big oaf in check tonight. I'll talk to you later." She turned to walk away just as there was a knock on the door. It was Edward, on time as usual.

"Ready for our match?" he asked. I nodded.

We stopped back at my room so I could change into appropriate sparring clothes and so I could grab my sword. Together, we walked up on deck like we had done every day so far. I had yet to win against him.

"You have first move today," he called. I frowned. I hated when he chose to give me the first move. I always felt like he did it because I was a girl, even though he took the first move every other day.

I circled him slowly, looking for an opening so that I could strike. He didn't turn to follow me with his body, but I could see him watching me out of the corner of his eye. I started off with a swing toward his left side. He parried it with ease and we fell into a rhythm. He would swing, and I would block him, or vice versa. We continued our dance for hours. Both of us were sweating bullets and would need to wash up after this, but neither of us was willing to give up.

Something about Edward seemed off today. He wasn't concentrating like he usually did, and his moves were becoming sloppy. He seemed distracted, like he was worried about something. Maybe the amulet had some sort of survival instinct and had him on edge. If so, that would just make our plan that much harder.

As the fight wore on, I knew he would call the match a draw soon. However, I seemed to be gaining an edge. His distraction really was messing with his swordsmanship. I swung at his right side this time. Like I had expected, he parried the blow. I hooked his sword with mine and twisted it out of his grip. Before he could recover, I held my blade to his neck. I couldn't believe that I had won. He usually anticipated my last move. I was almost shocked that he fell for it today.

He congratulated me on my victory, shock evident on his face. Despite his thoughts being miles away, he had not been expecting me to win. We both decided that a quick dive into the water would remove our sweat, so we both dove into the water for a few minutes. The water felt nice and cool on my skin and through my clothes. I sighed. I wanted to stay in the water longer, but it was growing late, and I still had to change into dry clothing before the evening meal.

The remaining hours seemed to go by quickly for me. It seemed Edward disagreed. He groaned and said something about this day going on for way too long. Before I knew it, I was preparing myself for bed and bidding Edward goodnight. Now all that I had to do was wait for the plan to start. It wouldn't be long now.

Edward's POV

I bid Bella goodnight and settled in to try to sleep. I had been getting to know Bella for two weeks now and things seemed pretty routine now. However, all day today I had been plagued with a feeling of unease. I couldn't help but feel that something would interfere with the way things were. I woke up feeling this way, and I hadn't been able to shake the feeling.

The day seemed to last way too long. I had been shocked at losing the sparring match with Bella today. That was a first. However, I was more worried about my feeling. The unease intensified as the day went on. I didn't really want to sleep with such a feeling of dread hanging over me, but I was exhausted. I yawned and rolled over.

Despite all of my worries, I found myself drifting into a light slumber around midnight. Even in sleep, I was plagued with nightmares. In my dreams, these shadow creatures hovered over my body and reached out to grab me.

I jerked awake to see Emmett leaning over me with one hand on my amulet. I saw red. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. "What are you doing!" I hissed.

"I , umm, I was sleep walking captain. My apologies and I'll just be on my way. I, uh, didn't mean to wake you!" he stuttered.

I knew he was lying. Emmett didn't sleep walk, and he never stuttered unless he was hiding something. I glared at him and watched him back up slowly. Before I knew what I was doing, I had drawn my sword and was advancing on him. He drew his own sword, which I noticed had been sheathed at his side. That was just more evidence he was lying, because someone did not sleep with their sword buckled to their waist.

I swung my sword at him and he parried it as best as he could. He was no match for me and I was in a rage. Part of me knew better than to kill him, but I was not in control of my actions. I hammered away at him until he was basically cowering behind his sword and trying his best to avoid being hit.

That was when I heard the cabin door open. Bella stepped out and jumped on my back. I swung around in surprise. She had been in on this? I couldn't believe it! Bella had betrayed me! Yet, why hadn't I expected it? I had caused the death of her father, she had sworn revenge for his death, and then she had been so kind to me. I should have seen it coming.

I was beyond furious. I was in a blind rage right now. I tried to pry her off my back, but she had one arm wrapped around my neck in a chokehold and the other one around the chain of my amulet. She began lifting it from around my neck.

I felt the fight begin to go out of me. I was feeling peaceful as she removed it. I realized that I had nothing to blame Bella for. She had not betrayed me. It was just a practical joke. That feeling only lasted for a moment. She had the glowing amulet in her hands. It was glowing brighter than I had ever seen it glow before. I frowned at that thought.

Suddenly, I was in agony. I fell to my knees and suppressed a scream. My body felt like it was being burned to a crisp and torn to pieces all at the same time. Despite my effort to stay silent, I still found myself writhing on the ground, whimpering. I didn't understand what could cause so much pain. The pain itself seemed to originate from my chest, right where my beating heart was located. My pulse was racing, and with each beat of my heart, a wave of pain crashed over me. I couldn't contain myself anymore. I released the screams inside of me, allowing my pain to be heard by all on this ship.

It seemed like forever, but soon the screams ceased and I felt darkness overtake me. I struggled for a few moments, for even in the darkness I could feel the pain. The darkness weighed heavier and heavier upon me. I heard the voice of my angel, Bella, calling to me, begging me to hold on, before the darkness engulfed me.

* * *

**(hides under a desk and peeks out tentatively) It's not what you think! Please don't be too upset! Reviews will make me update faster, so those would be nice... (if you still feel like being nice after all of that) **

**~Twilightfan2694 =)  
**


	7. Chapter 6: Dilemmas

**AN: Sorry about the long wait for this chapter. My life has been hectic lately between school, homework, and driver's ed. But good news! I finally got my permit. I will attempt to update regularly, but it may be over a week between updates. Updates will probably be on weekends since that is when I have the most free time. Thank you for sticking with me even though I left you with a horrible cliffhanger. And thank you for all of the reviews, I really appreciate it! =) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters and this plot owns me, so I really don't own anything at all... I only wish I did. **

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 6: Dilemmas **

Bella's POV

I watched in horror as Edward's body writhed on the deck, his screams of agony piercing my ears. I shouted to Emmett to fetch Carlisle. He was a doctor, maybe he could help? I could do nothing but watch over Edward's body until Carlisle arrived. Despite the volume of his screams, no one came to check on the well-being of their captain. He could have been murdered, and no one would have come to investigate. That thought brought tears to my eyes.

Carlisle finally arrived and bent to examine Edward, who was still writhing in pain. From the grim set to his mouth I knew that the diagnosis was not good. I swore, which I did not do often.

"How bad is it?" I asked weakly. I closed my eyes, as if that would help. All I could see behind my closed lids was Edward's agonized expression. That image was burned into my brain. I could never forget his pain. Despite the fact that he was responsible for my father's death, I had found myself falling in love with Edward Cullen, and I would be completely devastated if he died.

"His breathing is shallow, his body temperature has dropped, and his heart beats faintly. Can you give me the exact details of what happened?"

"Well, we went through with the plan like we said we would. I think the amulet has some sort of defense mechanism because I noticed that Edward seemed on edge all day. He caught Emmett trying to take the amulet, and they were fighting. I've never seen the amulet glow so brightly before." I watched his facial expression as I retold the events as I knew them. His frown had deepened, but he seemed thoughtful.

"I came out to help Emmett and jumped on Edward's back to try to distract him. I got my hand around the amulet and pulled it off. He went from looking murderously angry to looking peaceful. That was when he collapsed and started whimpering in pain. After I sent Emmett to get you, Edward just started screaming in agony. I just- Carlisle, I just don't understand why no one came to check on him? The crew would just let their captain suffer? I mean, he hasn't been the nicest guy, but they still owe him. If it weren't for him, they might not have a ship to work on."

He was shaking his head sadly. "Bella, that's the way things go on a pirate ship. It would be unnatural for a crewman to care about any other pirate on board. On a pirate ship, it's survival of the fittest. Should Edward die, as much as I hate to think about the possibility, the ship will be in chaos. Many pirates will fight each other for position as the new captain."

I felt the need to interrupt. "Wait! Wouldn't Emmett be the next captain? I don't understand. I thought it was the first mate who took over?"

"It used to be, but the pirating laws have all pretty much gone down the drain," Emmett broke in. I hadn't noticed his approach. "Some ships might still follow the pirating laws, but since the amulet came to us, the laws have ceased to exist. Edward never enforced them, and he hired the worst pirates he could. Don't get me wrong. There are some decent pirates on this ship, but there are just as many ruthless ones."

Carlisle nodded. "We can't afford for Edward to die, now can we?" His face took on a new found determination. Em and I shook our heads. "Bella, have you thought that giving him back the amulet might help? I doubt it will be instantaneous, but it might help."

I looked at him. Carlisle was right. Why hadn't I thought of it sooner? It was the amulet's removal that caused the Edward before us writhing in pain, it might be the amulet's replacement that could stop it. I realized that it hadn't been too long that we had been discussing Edward's condition. Probably, no more than ten minutes had passed.

I moved closer to Edward's form on the ship's deck and gently lifted his head. He continued to act out in his pain, making my task that much more difficult. Every time I tried to put the amulet around his neck, he would jerk away. Eventually, I had Carlisle hold his head still while I slipped the amulet on. It still glowed bright, but there was something off about it. Almost as if it were trying to distance itself from the man it had controlled for years.

As soon as the amulet was around his neck, Edward stopped writhing. It was obvious that he was still in pain, his face showed it all too well. However, Carlisle didn't notice any other changes. He insisted we bring Edward into the cabin and onto the bed. That would be putting me out of a place to sleep, but I didn't think I would be sleeping much anyway. Emmett and Carlisle were the ones to carry him, but I stayed right next to him, begging him to hang in there.

"Hold on Edward! Please don't die, you can't die!" I was hysterical. I hadn't even cried this much when my father died.

"Carlisle, if there are those on the ship who would take advantage of Edward in this condition, should we have someone with him at all times?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, I think that would be helpful, but only those whom we trust. It is also important that he isn't alone because if something should change, I will need to be informed immediately."

I listened to their conversation distractedly. I was too busy looking at the man who had somehow managed to capture my heart. I had to admit that he was absolutely the most handsome man in the world, but that isn't what drew me to him. On the occasions when he was himself, I witnessed a man who was intelligent, witty, and kind. I wouldn't let him die, and I would find another way to break the curse.

I pulled the only chair in the room over to the side of the bed and plopped myself down. "Guys, I'll watch him for now. You can have one of the other's replace me tomorrow or something."

Carlisle looked hesitant. I'm sure he had wanted to be the first to watch over his nephew, but he understood my need to watch Edward first. After all, it was my stupid plan that caused this mess. Carlisle nodded after a few minutes and walked out with Emmett in tow. "Bella, I'll be here to take the next watch at sunrise," were Carlisle's parting words.

And just like that, it was just me and Edward's unconscious form. I sighed. Well, I suppose that I could read one of the books in this cabin. I had probably only read through a quarter of Edward's book collection since he lent me the cabin, but I didn't really feel like reading anything new. I wasn't sure what to read. That was when I noticed a worn copy of Romeo and Juliet hiding in the corner of the room. I would never have guessed that Edward would read something like that. Maybe his kinder nature came out when he was reading.

Looking at that book brought me back to the day Edward attacked my father's ship. I had been about half way through it when we were attacked. I fought back the tears that threatened to fall. I missed my father greatly. He would have known what to do in a situation like this. He would have gotten along well with Edward too, if Edward weren't under a curse, and if my father hadn't detested pirates.

I stood up slowly and crossed the room to Edward's battered copy of Romeo and Juliet. It must have been one of his favorites. I wondered if he might somehow hear me if I read the story out loud. It was worth a shot.

I settled down comfortably into my chair and opened the book to read.

" _Two households, both alike in dignity_

_In fair Verona where we lay our scene,_

_From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,_

_Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._

_From forth the fatal loins of these two foes_

_A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,_

_Whose misadventured piteous overthrows_

_Doth with their death bury their parents' strife._

_The fearful passage of their death-marked love_

_And the continuance of their parents' rage,_

_Which but their children's end, naught could remove,_

_Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage-_

_The which, if your patient ears attend,_

_What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend." _

I continued to read as Romeo pined for Rosalind, met Juliet, and fell in love. I read as the two lovers secretly married, how Juliet was to marry Count Paris, how Romeo killed her cousin, and how he was banished. I cried as Juliet faked her death, Romeo thinking she was truly dead poisoning himself, and Juliet killing herself with a dagger to be with him. I tried to rein in the tears as I read the ending.

" _A glooming peace this morning with it brings._

_The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head._

_Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things._

_Some shall be pardoned, and some punished._

_For never was a story of more woe_

_Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." _

I was stupid for choosing a tragedy to read when I was worried about whether or not Edward would live. I felt awful by this point and I realized that if Edward should die, I would most likely feel like pulling a Juliet with dagger and all. He didn't even know how I felt about him.

The sun had started to rise by the time I finished reading. I spent the rest of my time staring at Edward. Was it my imagination, or had the pained expression on Edward's face lessened in the night? I picked up his hand to check his pulse. It seemed almost normal, and his skin felt a little warmer. I think his breathing was a bit more regular too. I was hopeful.

But that brought on a whole new round of problems. Would Edward still be the Edward I had grown to love, or would he revert back to the monster he was when he attacked my father's ship? Would the amulet have regained power over him, or could he fight it? And most importantly, how did I get that damn thing off of him? It was obvious that I couldn't just remove it now. It had to lose its hold over him before he could remove it himself. And only he could remove it. I didn't know what would result from all of this.

As I was thinking, the door burst open and Carlisle came in- armed. He seemed out of breath. "Bella, we have a problem. Many of Mike Newton's 'friends' want to get in here and kill Edward. They want a new captain. Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie are keeping them back right now and Esme will be sneaking in here soon to help me, but we can't keep them back forever. Half the crew is mutinying."

I cursed. I was exhausted from keeping watch all night, but I needed to help the others look after Edward. I stood up, grabbed my sword, and buckled it to my waist. I drew it from its sheath, turned to Carlisle and said "Wish me luck out there," before opening the door and dashing out.

I gasped in shock. When Carlisle said half the crew was out here, he meant it. The other half was acting like nothing was happening. I counted those of us fighting for Edward. Five. Only five of us, against half the crew. And if they got through, Carlisle and Esme wouldn't last long on the inside as the last defense. The situation seemed impossible to resolve without dying, but I was not going out without a fight. I raised my blade, and got to work.

Edward's POV

I was floating in a sea of darkness and pain. I kept trying to push the darkness away, but it was impossible. I continued to struggle, even though I felt like my situation was useless.

It seemed like forever, but I felt the pain begin to recede slowly. It didn't fade completely, but it was bearable. The darkness didn't let up at all, but I found that I could hear a faint voice. This voice was familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. It sounded like a chorus of angels to me.

After a while I realized that the voice was reading a story. Romeo and Juliet from the sound of it. I had always loved that story, but no one knew that I had ever read it. This angel must have found out somehow. I listened intently to the story and was pleased to feel the pain was almost completely gone by the time the angel stopped speaking.

Another voice came into play. From the sounds of things, we were under attack, or no, wait, my crew was attacking me! And the angle and a handful of others fought for me! I didn't know whether to feel happy that the angel fought for me or to be angry that my crew was mutinying. Anger was winning out, but I could still feel the compassion toward my angel and her helpers in the back of my mind.

The second voice that had been in the room was speaking to me. It was telling me that I seemed to be holding up much better than last night. I wanted to tell him that it was thanks to my angel for reading to me all night, but I couldn't speak. The inability to speak fueled my anger.

I was so frustrated. Despite my anger, I felt so many different emotions. Mostly, I was worried about my angel. She would be outnumbered. What would I do if someone hurt my angel? I prayed that she would be alright.

Suddenly, I felt like I was in agony. It was a hundred times worse than before, but it was centered near my heart. Anger was still my dominating emotion. The pain flared up making me groan. That was when I realized that the darkness had lifted somewhat and that I would be back in the land of the living soon. For now, I would have to deal with the worry over my angel fighting, the irrational anger I was feeling, and the sharp bursts of pain that I was feeling. I winced as the pain jolted through me again. How I wished that I would wake up soon!

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? Sort of in between? Let me know by dropping a review! =) **

**~Twilightfan2694~  
**


	8. Chapter 7: Awakening

**AN: Sorry about the long wait for an update, but hopefully it is worth it. I had a bad case of writer's block, but I got over it, sort of. I've also been busy lately, but that isn't much of an excuse. Hopefully you like this chapter, and thank you for waiting so long for the next chapter. You are all wonderful.**

**Disclaimer: I can wish I owned Twilight all I want, but it is never gonna happen**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 7: Awakening**

Bella's POV

Emmett, Jasper, Rose, Alice, and I fought long and hard, but we were still outnumbered about 6 to 1. I didn't know how much longer I could fight. Hell, I didn't think that any of us had much fight left in us.

It had been about 3 hours since I left Edward's side to fight the mutineers. Since then, the chances of our winning had increased greatly, but we were exhausted. I had been up all night looking after Edward, and the others had been up worrying about him. Now we were forced to stay awake to fight his enemies.

I spun to the right to avoid a sword aimed at my head. I caught the pirate's blade with my own and wrenched it past me. While the man was off balance, I took my own blade and thrust forward. I grimaced as the man died. I hated killing, but it was necessary. I had tried knocking these men out before, but they just kept getting up after a while and reentered the fray.

"Bella, look out!" Jasper yelled as he tackled me to the ground. I looked up just in time to see a dagger fly through the place where my head had been only a few moments ago.

"Thanks Jazz! I owe you one," I said with a sigh of relief as we both got back to our feet.

"No problem. Just don't get killed okay? Our numbers are small enough that we can't afford for you to die," he said in a joking tone. I knew he didn't mean that. He was just trying to hide the fact that he didn't want his friend to die.

"Got it Jazz!" I said as I threw myself back into the battle. I lost sight of Jasper within seconds as the enemy closed in on me once again.

Unfortunately, I found myself surrounded by enemies. They all looked rested, whereas I hadn't slept in about 24 hours. There were four of them.

"Give it up girl! Just let us take out the captain and we'll let you live. We'll even be so kind as to let you off the ship when we come to the next port. We all know the captain is keeping you captive on this ship," the first pirate said. He was short and stocky with dark hair.

I shook my head at him and prepared for a fight. I found myself pivoting and ducking a lot. I was getting no where against these men as I was stuck on the defensive. I decided that I would have to take some risks.

I jabbed my elbow into the man on my right as I ducked under the blade of the dark haired man. I felt a twinge of pain as the man on my left broke through my defense. However, I had knocked the man on my right off balance and used that to my advantage. I thrust my sword toward him and took him out.

I used that as my chance to maneuver out of my situation. I threw myself to the right, over the dead man's body. As soon as I was clear, I rolled back to my feet and spun to attack the nearest man. He fell quickly, while the remaining two closed in on me once again.

I was planning in my head on how I would attack these two when I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder. The man I had thought I just killed wasn't completely dead yet. He had thrust his sword through my shoulder before collapsing onto the ground.

I groaned in pain and pulled the sword out of my shoulder. I spun to attack again, but my shoulder was protesting. I raised my blade and took out another guy. My shoulder was screaming in agony now.

My reactions were slow now, but I was holding the last guy off. It just so happened that I was facing the dark haired man again. I didn't know how much longer I could hold out.

I got my answer a moment later when my shoulder refused to move anymore. The man hit my arm and knocked the sword away from me. I fell to my knees with the force of being hit.

I was being held at sword point. I couldn't move an inch without jeopardizing my life. I knew that I was about to die. The only regret I had was not knowing whether or not Edward was going to live.

And that is when the sword disappeared from in front of my throat and the man fell down beside me, staring with blank eyes. I looked up into the eyes of my savior, and gasped.

Edward's POV

I felt a strange compulsion to pull myself free of the darkness, no matter how daunting a task it seemed to be. Somehow, I knew that something bad was going to happen if I couldn't wake up in time.

I struggled to open my eyes, but the darkness was just too strong. But now was no time for giving up. I knew that my few _friends_, I guess I could say, were out fighting for my life. If I knew my crew well, which I did because I hand picked them all, then at least half of them would be trying to kill me and the other half wouldn't do anything at all.

Eventually, I managed to pry my eyes open. The first thing I was hit with was a bright light, which caused me to blink my eyes repeatedly before I could focus. The next thing I saw was my Uncle Carlisle hovering over me, a concerned look in his eyes.

"Edward! Are you okay? Bella said that you collapsed and started convulsing. For a while, we weren't sure that you were going to make it," he said.

I looked at him for a while before I found my voice. "Yeah, I feel fine. A little weak, but otherwise I'm right as rain. What's going on? Tell me the crew didn't revolt!"

"I'm afraid so. Although, it could be worse, only half the crew revolted. The rest are all indifferent to this entire conflict."

I got to my feet, swaying a little unsteadily, and strode over to the door. Once there, I started to buckle my sword to my belt.

"Where do you think you are going?" Carlisle asked. "You've been awake all of five minutes and you rush off to fight a battle? Are you insane? Do you have a death wish?"

"I'm perfectly fine Carlisle. I need to get out there and prevent this from going any further."

A feeling of dread welled up within me. I knew that if I didn't get out there soon, something bad was going to happen.

"As your doctor, I feel I must tell you to remain on bed rest for a few more days," Carlisle began in an authoritative voice. "But as your friend I say to get out there and do your best! Just don't get killed," he finished.

"Will do," I said as I opened the door.

As I walked out into the fray, I nearly broke my promise to not get killed, for a dagger flew through the air, mere inches from my head. "This is bad..." I muttered. "This is very bad, they won't give up easily."

I drew my sword and rushed to join the melee. I felt a surge of anger and hatred rush through me, such as I had never felt before. I felt powerful. I began to fight, swinging my sword here to cut down a traitor, thrusting there to finish off a rogue, and parrying a sword from over there in order to prevent getting stabbed myself.

On many occasions, I felt like my wrathful behavior was wrong, and that I should be more understanding and merciful, but I couldn't bring myself to listen to the small voice in my head.

There was one thing I was looking for. I knew that Bella was out here fighting for me, and I needed to find her. She was the source of my sense of foreboding. I didn't have long now.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. As I continued to fight my way through the crew, I spotted a slight disturbance toward the starboard side of the ship. A group of my pirates were closing in on their victim, whom I could not see clearly. However, I knew it was Bella from the way the she fought her way through the situation. I saw a man fall, followed by the others, and sure enough, there was Bella. I hurried toward her, for she seemed to be injured. And then one of the men got back to his feet and held her at sword point.

I pressed myself to move faster. My body was complaining. Despite the power I felt flowing through me, my body was not physically ready for such taxing jobs as I was putting it to. The hatred I felt toward that man was the only thing keeping me going now.

I pushed and shoved my way through, killing any enemy who crossed my path. I reached them just in time. The man had just twitched his hand, getting ready to bring back the blade that would end the life of an angel. With a growl, I thrust my sword into his back from behind, stabbing him right in the heart. He fell to the ground, blank eyes staring, mouth open in shock.

I spared him only a moment's glance to ensure he was dead before turning to face Bella. She was staring at me in surprise, a gasp escaping her lips.

"Edward? You're alive! Thank heavens for I did not think we would last much longer," she exclaimed.

I smiled at her. The hatred seemed to drain out of me, leaving me feeling exhausted. Bella was in no shape to fight, and currently, neither was I. "Of course I'm alive! Did you really think that that would really be enough to kill me?"

She just shook her head in wonder. "I'm glad to have you back with us," she replied, giving me a slight smile. She moved to stand up, but winced when she moved her shoulder.

"You're hurt," I stated, extending my hand to help her up. "I should take you in to see Carlisle. He doesn't exactly approve of me joining the fray as soon a I woke up either..." I trailed off. No doubt Carlisle was worried. I wondered where Esme had been when I woke up. I would have thought she would be by Carlisle's side the whole time.

"Where is Esme?" I asked.

Bella looked up at me surprised. "I thought she was staying with you and Carlisle? You mean to say she wasn't there when you woke up?"

"No," I replied confused. We would have to ask Carlisle.

I had Bella lean on me as we made our way back to my cabin. The way back was uneventful, the fight seemed to be petering out somewhat. When we arrived, I opened the door and escorted Bella over to the bed.

Carlisle looked up in surprise. "Edward, you're back in one piece, thank god! And what have we here? Bella, you're hurt?" He stood up and walked over to inspect her wounds. "Nothing too serious, just a few cuts that need to be bandaged up. Although I wager that it will hurt to use that arm for a few days," he added.

Bella grimaced and nodded as he wrapped her wounds in bandages. I decided to use this time to ask my question. "Carlisle, where is Esme? Bella said she was here earlier, but I didn't see her."  
"She insisted that she was needed on the battlefield, that there were too few to defend you. I'm not too concerned, for she makes sure to check in every now and then."

I nodded thoughtfully. I guess Esme cared for me more than I deserved, considering my past behavior. "I hope all remains well," I added.

As soon as Bella was bandaged up, I was ordered to lay back down on the bed until my strength came back to me. However, it hadn't been long before Jasper and Emmett came bursting into the room demanding I address the mutineers. Many had noticed that I was on the field of battle. They wanted to repent and gain forgiveness for mutinying.

I agreed to go meet with those who had stayed out of the situation altogether, for they were the only ones that I could forgive. The agreement was that they would help us dispatch those who openly opposed me. Upon agreement, the fight was wrapped up quickly- no need to go into detail, the event itself was rather boring. However, the conflict was over, and we were at peace once more. Although, it couldn't be long before something else came up, I just wasn't sure what it would be.

* * *

**So, review please. And if you have an idea for something you really want to happen, let me know and I'll see if maybe I can incorporate it into the story. =) **

**Over and Out!  
~Twilightfan2694~  
**


	9. AN Story Recommendation

**Sorry! This is not a new chapter...**

**I just wanted to take the time to mention that my best friend, _imarriededward_, has started her own story called Going Off to College. I figured I would recommend it here, especially since I think it is really good. If you would all kindly give her story a chance and drop her a few reviews! Here is the summary: **

**_Bella goes off to college, only to meet her roommate and two brothers on the plane ride there. But will someone haunting Bella's past come back for her and the innocent passengers on the plane?_**

**I highly recommend this story to those of you who like romance and drama. **

**Stay tuned and I'll try to post a decent update soon! =) **

**Over and out!**

**~Twilightfan2694~  
**


	10. Chapter 8: The Island of Forks

**AN: Okay, I'm back. Hope you all like this chapter. Many of the events in the following were not planned and occurred in my mind at the last minute. I hope you don't hate the ending. So, I'd like to thank you all for sticking with me this far, and that I will be mostly focusing on this particular story from here on out. I also want to make another mention of my best friend, _imarriededward_, for she just started her own story recently called _Going off to college_, to which if you haven't already, I would recommend reading it. And if you have read it but haven't reviewed, if you would ever so kindly leave her a comment or two... she would love the opinions I am sure of it.**

**Disclaimer: I am not lucky enough to write a great series like Mrs. Stephenie Meyer, but I wish I was. I have to settle for borrowing her characters for a little while.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 8: The Island of Forks**

Bella's POV

With the mutiny over and Edward back in control of his ship, it seemed like peace might come at last. However, there was something different about Edward that scared me. He was much kinder than usual to me, but that isn't the part that scared me. He had become overly protective of me and very quick to anger.

Once, I had been holding a conversation with Emmett about the events that had unfolded recently, especially the attempt to remove the amulet. Edward walked by, saw the two of us and backtracked. I still can't believe what was said that day:

_Edward glared at Emmett. "What the hell do you think you are doing? Get away from Bella!" Emmett and I stared at him with wide eyes._

_ "Dude, calm down Edward! What's your problem? Bella and I were just talking," Emmett said with his hands up. He was backing away slowly, and I could see why. Edward looked livid, like he was about to murder someone. _

_ "Edward, really, we were just talking," I said in an attempt to calm him down._

_ "Yeah, well, maybe I don't want you talking to other men," he had retorted. _

_ "Edward, I don't get it. It isn't like we would be doing anything else! For crying out loud! Emmett is happily married to Rosalie!"  
He just looked at me and then turned to Emmett, whom, in the heat of the argument, I had forgotten was still standing there, shellshocked. "If you know what's best for you, stay away from Bella," he said in a cold voice before stalking away._

_ I looked after him, perplexed. He was acting really strange lately. Even when he was the cruelest of people, he was still civil to Emmett; they had been like brothers in a way. Now, he was acting like Emmett was the enemy. _

_ I turned to Emmett. "What the hell was that all about? Did you do something to anger him?"_

_ "I have no clue what is wrong with him, but you would think he would think about who helped ensure he didn't lose his ship to the crew while he was out of action!" Emmett said with a scowl. "I'm sorry Bella, but I don't know what his problem is. Maybe it's that blasted amulet!" And with that, he strode off, leaving me standing alone and confused._

That wasn't the only incident. Edward had gone after Jasper as well, even though he clearly was happy with Alice. He even seemed angry toward Alice and Rosalie when they called for a girls night. He was always polite to me, except in certain cases when someone else was making him angry by their proximity to me, but I was still scared.

Today, he seemed to be in a relatively good mood, given the fact that he actually seemed to tolerate Emmett and Jasper, although I fear they actually went out of their way to avoid him lately. Today also hinted at another event. One week after the mutiny, and here we were, docking on a small island called Forks. The name was fitting given the fact that the only town on the whole island was also called Forks.

We had just gained our first glimpse of land and were preparing to dock. While we were here, we needed to stock up on food and water, as well as replace many of our lost crewmen.

All the same, I had a bad feeling about today. I just hoped that my feeling was wrong.

As we pulled into the dock, I noticed that there seemed to be some sort of disturbance. A drunken man seemed to be groping a girl, and she was struggling against him. I looked around. Many people were watching, but no one was doing anything about it.

I frowned. How could the townsfolk just let such an atrocity happen? Despite the fact that I knew this would upset Edward, I grabbed hold of one of the ratlines and swung over onto land.

"Hey! Leave her alone you swine!" I yelled. The man just looked at me and smirked.

"Did you want to join in the action and get a piece of me, sugar?" he asked.

I shivered and backed up a little when he started to advance upon me. I hadn't thought clearly when I jumped off the ship, and I did not have my sword on me, not to mention that I would be arrested if I were to kill this scoundrel.

Just then, Edward swung down by my side, his hand automatically flying to his sword hilt. "Repeat that and you are a dead man!" he hissed.

The man, who I now noticed to be a greasy haired ratlike fellow, backed away when he noticed I wasn't alone. He glared at Edward, leered at me, and ran off into the crowd with a shout of "This isn't over!" thrown over his shoulder.

Edward made a step as if to follow the man, but I shook my head. "it isn't worth getting arrested for murder," I muttered.

He sighed and nodded, relaxing a bit. Seeing that Edward wasn't going to go do anything stupid, I turned to the girl.

"Are you okay...?" I asked, trailing off as I realized I didn't know her name.

"Angela." She replied in return, realizing I wanted her name. "Thanks for helping me there. I'm okay now, but I don't think I would have been. May I ask the names of my heros?" She asked kindly. She really seemed to be a nice girl.

"I'm Bella and this is Edward," I replied. I wasn't sure if I should mention that he was a captain, or if I should call him a friend, or something else altogether, so I left it at that.

"Who was that guy?" Edward asked with a scowl in the direction that the drunken man had disappeared in.

"That was Tyler Crowley, the town bully. He usually has a group of men with him, but I guess it was lucky that he was alone today. He won't let you get away free and clear, though. I'm afraid that he has enough power in this town that he may pull some stunt that won't go well for any of you."

I frowned. This must have been the source of my bad feeling.

"So, are you guys in town for the spring festival, or are you just passing through?" Angela asked.

"There's going to be a festival?" I asked. "When?"

"Tonight," she answered.

"Well, I guess we will be around then," I answered, trying to hide my sense of foreboding.

"I guess I will see you then," Angela replied. "I should be going, but it was nice meeting you Bella, Edward." With that, Angela turned and headed off into town.

Edward turned to me, exasperated. "What the hell were you thinking? Jumping into that fight without being armed! Do you know what could have happened?"

"Sorry," I muttered. He just shook his head and turned to climb back aboard the ship.

"Next time, be more careful," he mumbled so quietly I almost thought I had imagined it. I turned and followed him back onto the ship, glad that the fight was over, for the moment at least.

So, we spent the day gathering food and water for when we set sail once again, and the nighttime found us preparing for the festival. It was weird watching everyone seem to be in such high spirits, all the while having a sense that something was going to happen.

Alice was bouncing around where she stood. She told me how the ship rarely pulled into any port town when a festival was going on and that this should raise everyone's spirits. I just pretended to agree.

The community feast went well, everyone seeming to get along. I stayed close to Edward, knowing that this would be my best option. I hadn't missed the last glance Tyler had sent in my direction.

Edward had lightened up a bit, laughing and joking with a few townsfolk. However, I could see that even he was a little edgy, for he must have also caught Tyler's last words and Angela's warning.

I should have known that the even that I was waiting for would not be during the meal. Afterward, all sorts of little booths opened up for people to buy little trinkets and a band had started playing. It was a lively tune, couples frolicking around and creating a scene of utter confusion.

I did my best to stay near Edward, to which he also seemed to be trying to keep me near him, but it was rather difficult to push through the crowd.

After a while, Edward just stopped pushing through the crowd and seemed to come to some sort of decision. He turned to me with an uncertain look on his face. "Bella, would you care to dance?" he asked.

I just looked at him a little shocked. "I understand if you don't want to," he said mistaking my shock as reluctance.

"Are you kidding! I would love to dance with you Edward, you just surprised me with the offer," I interjected.

He looked at me and smiled a crooked smile. "Well then, my lady, shall we?" he asked and held out his hand.

"We shall," I said with a grin.

We joined in on what appeared to be a folk dance, and with much laughing from both of us on our lack of skill with dancing, we seemed to forget all of our worries from before.

And that was when all hell broke loose. In the midst of the celebrations, it appeared that the governor's house had caught fire, and everyone was panicking. People scurried left and right, many trying to find buckets to put the fire out.

In the chaos that ensued, Edward and I became separated. I called out to him, over and over, but it was no use. He wouldn't be able to hear me in this mess. I decided my best option was probably to head back to the ship and wait for him to come back, but I couldn't recall in which direction the ship lay in this commotion.

I decided to just pick a direction and hoped I had chosen correctly. I felt as if eyes were following me where ever I headed, so I began to walk more quickly, no longer paying attention to where I was going.

When I finally looked up to see where I was, I realized that I was lost. I must have been on the outskirts of town, in the wrong direction. I turned around to head back, when a group of men staggered forward.

I recognized one of them as Tyler Crowley. The others must have been the group that Angela had mentioned earlier. So, this would be his revenge. He would take me as a substitute for Angela. And Edward wasn't here to save me.

"Stay back!" I yelled hoarsely. Actually, it was more of a whisper yell, for it held little volume. I cursed myself for sounding so pathetic.

Tyler just laughed at me and advanced, his men hanging back slightly. "Don't be like that Sugar," he said. I began to back away from him, looking around me for anything that could be used as a weapon, unfortunately finding nothing of use.

"I mean it! Stay away from me!"

The others began advancing as well, flanking their leader. I didn't think things could get any worse, until with my luck, I tripped and fell, leaving myself completely defenseless.

Edward's POV

I had felt like something was going to happen all night, but I became hopeful as the night proceeded peacefully. I even got to dance with Bella. I never would have thought a few weeks ago that I would have any interest in dancing at all, but things were different now.

However, pandemonium erupted when the Forks Governor's home caught fire. I frowned, for I thought it strange that such an event even occurred. I began to make my way to find the Governor, keeping Bella close by.

When I found him working frantically to put the fire out I confronted him. "Excuse me sir, but do you happen to know what might have caused the fire?"

He looked at me for a moment in surprise. "No, it seems almost like it was intentional, but I don't know of anyone who might have set my house on fire," he answered. He avoided my gaze as he answered, alerting me to the lie. He knew, as did I that a certain gang might have caused the fire as a distraction, and that they would get away with it in the eyes of the town law because they were feared.

Tyler had made his move, and now I needed to find out where he was. First, I was going to get Bella to safety. I turned to tell her I was bringing her back to the ship, when I noticed her absence. I panicked. I had no idea where she might have gone, but I had a feeling as to what Tyler might be up to.

"Bella!" I called. No answer. I felt like screaming, I had no idea where she might have gotten off to. I knew she was terrible with directions, and in this crowd, it was very likely she would have gotten lost. I decided to trust my instincts and let my feet travel where they may.

I prayed that I would find Bella before it was too late, but time was running out. I was losing hope, and fast.

I felt a pull in the direction of the Northern edge of town, so I followed my instincts. That's when I saw them. Bella was backing away from that monster and his cronies. She was completely defenseless. She seemed to be yelling at them, but no sound was issuing forth that held any volume. They seemed to just laugh at her. As she backed up, I saw her trip and fall.

My feet weren't carrying me fast enough to Bella's side. I was going to be too late. I forced myself to move faster. I hadn't realized that I was full out sprinting, I only noticed that my legs were protesting with the speed I was trying to force them to move. And I was moving faster than I had thought possible, I must have seemed almost a blur to anyone watching me.

Tyler had reached Bella and was now gripping her arm. She winced and struggled as he attacked her. And then I reached them and he was flying backwards. I tackled him to the ground and punched him in the face.

"You bastard! I thought I made it clear before that you were to leave her alone!"

He had the nerve to smirk. "Look around you, you're outnumbered at least 4 to 1. What are you going to do?"

I felt a rage burning in my veins, the amulet suddenly flaring a bright crimson- the first time it had truly glowed bright in over a week. I felt strength flow through me as I drew my sword and advanced. His men sprung at me, but they were no match for me. At least three of them were dead in moments.

The others backed away. Leaving Tyler standing there, furious, with his sword drawn. I growled and lunged at him.

He parried my blow and kicked me. I winced a bit, but I didn't let down my guard like he had hoped.

By now, we had acquired an audience. Many townsfolk were watching me with horror. Tyler and I continued our deadly dance. He seemed afraid, as he should be. He was not a very skilled swordsman. He swung at my left, to which I blocked. His move had left him unprotected, and I, taking advantage of the opening, quickly swung my sword into his side, causing him to fall to his knees.

I considered actually letting the wretched creature live, but then figured he would just make someone else suffer. And without considering further, I brought my sword down and ended things.

I went to Bella's side and helped her to her feet. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes, thanks to you, once again. Why is it you are always saving me from horrible men?"

"I don't know Bella, you must be a danger magnet," I replied with a bit of a smile. I pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad you're okay. Let's get you back to the ship."

I was about to head back to the ship when the Governor, who's house had been extinguished with minimal damage, stopped me. "You sir, are a murderer! We don't want you staying here any longer than necessary, so if your business here is finished, it would be best if you leave at once!"

I was outraged, and clearly so was Bella. "What do you mean he is a freaking murderer? He saved me from that monster!" She yelled at the man.

"I don't care!" the Governor exclaimed, eying Tyler's remaining friends. Clearly, they still held power. "I want you gone before sunrise or I will have you arrested," he insisted.

I scowled. "As you wish sir, but so you know, you haven't heard the last of me! I will be back and make sure that this town has a proper government and justice system someday!"

With that, I turned on my heel and went on board the ship, waking the crew.

"We set sail for the open seas!" I called.

"Aye captain!" the crewmen all yelled out.

And just like that, we were back at sea, prepared to face the unknown.

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? Let me know in a review! And I will do my best to update soon! Over and out!**

**~Twilightfan2694~  
**


	11. Chapter 9: The Storm

**AN: So, I'm currently doing my best to update once a week right now, and I'm sorry if things in this story seem to be a little slow moving in the plot for now. I realized that time is passing very slowly, and I need another month's worth of time to reach the main plot, but I'm doing my best. I tried to add some humor in there, hopefully you all get a laugh out of the beginning of the chapter. I once again want to mention that _imarriededward_ has currently started her own story and updated a few times, if you would care to check out her story _Going Off To College_. It is actually really good, better than the title might suggest. So, I'm going to stop prattling on and just let you all go on to the story. Thank you all again for bearing with me through the story so far. I will hopefully bring in a lot more action soon. =)**

**Disclaimer: If only we were all lucky enough to own Twilight... I know I wish I did... but that right belongs to Stephenie Meyer alone. I'll make do with borrowing the characters for my own plots. =) **

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 9: The Storm **

Bella's POV

The incident in Forks had happened over two weeks ago, but Edward remained as protective of me as ever. He often made an excuse to follow me wherever I decided to go, even if he had other things he needed to do as captain of the ship. I tried to insist that I would be fine, but he ignored my protests. To be honest, I didn't protest too hard. I actually liked his company. Despite his harsh attitude toward anyone else, he had quite the sense of humor.

So, today found us sailing smoothly during a nice sunny day, and Edward was basking in the sunlight, telling me stories about some of the crazier things that other captains had done on the past.

"So, did Captain Alistair really fill the cargo hold with seawater and insist that it was valuable?" I asked.

"Yes he did," Edward replied trying not to burst out laughing. "He was always considered by other ship captains to be off his rocker, but they couldn't do anything about it. He had yet to do anything really stupid, until then of course."

"So what happened to him?"

"Well, the ship started sinking because the water was too heavy. When the crew noticed, they all began jumping overboard and yelling bloody murder, cursing their captain for their dilemma. First mate Eleazar stepped in and had everyone get into lifeboats, but the ship was lost. As a result, Alistair had to retire and Eleazar was promoted to captain." Edward chuckled. "Of course, I knew Alistair when I was a little boy. I swear, he was the funniest guy I'd ever met, mostly because he was rather crazy."

I couldn't help it. I just had to laugh at the idea of a little Edward listening to a crazy ex-pirate telling stories. "Don't tell me he looked crazy too?"

"Yes, of course. He was a one eyed-pirate with long gray hair and a creepy grin. He also used to go around with a peg leg and a gold hook. Did I mention that his hat consisted of a huge conch shell?" He looked at me with a perfectly straight face.

"You must be kidding!" I exclaimed. Just then, his carefully arranged features collapsed into a crooked grin and he burst out laughing.

"Of course I was kidding! What person really looks like that? If he really dressed like that, I don't think I ever would have been able to look him in the face and not laugh."

"Jerk," I muttered under my breath. He heard me and smirked.

"Well then, what funny tales can you tell me?" he asked me.

I looked at him like he was insane for asking such a thing. "You don't really want me to entertain you Edward. I've heard some pretty crazy stories."

"I want to hear one," he insisted.

"Fine. Do you want to hear about the nobleman who thought he was a donkey, or the time a nobleman became a peasant?"

"Definitely the one about the donkey!" he exclaimed with a laugh.

"Okay, but you have been warned! The story is full of danger and you might be at risk of having a laughing fit!

"There once was a man named Jack who lived in this big mansion. However, he treated everyone he met like trash. One day this strange man came into town. He was collecting donations for the poor. He went door to door, but everyone told him not to go to Jack's house. He refused to believe them, and he knocked on the door. Jack opened the door, saw the man and slammed the door in the man's face. Nobody realized that Jack was only behaving like a jerk because he was paranoid. When the door closed, the man yelled at Jack that he was behaving like an ass. Jack misunderstood the man, thinking he meant he was behaving like a donkey. From then on, whenever someone would tell him that he acted like an ass, he would reply 'Please don't say that! I'm not a donkey! Or am I?' Poor Jack was so confused that he actually thought he was a donkey after a few months. Eventually, he decided to live like a donkey, but found it didn't work out. He became a recluse, to which he was avoided by many, and sought out by visitors who heard about him."

"Poor Jack," Edward replied with a snort. "Is that a true story?"

"Yes it is. I saw him myself when my father and I were in Port Angeles. I felt kind of bad for him..." I trailed off.

Edward was still snickering beside me. "I still think it was hilarious that he actually thought of himself as a donkey after a while!"

I just shook my head at him. "You are so insensitive sometimes."

"I can't help it, that story was just hilarious!"

"Yeah, okay," I said standing up. "Maybe we should find something a little more productive to do since you haven't been setting a good example as Captain," I teased.

He nodded and grinned at me. "Okay, how about surveillance of the ship, make sure everyone is working?"

I nodded and followed him. However, I looked into the distance with a worried expression on my face. Even though the sun was still shining here, the clouds before us looked dangerous. My teasing expression had disappeared as soon as I noticed them.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked as soon as he noticed the change.

"Look at those clouds Edward. They hint at a storm ahead. I must say, storms make me nervous. One time, my father and I were out on the job, when this storm arose. The ship we were tailing couldn't survive the rough seas, and they sank right before my eyes. It was slow and painful to watch, because I know they must have suffered, with the ship slowly filling with water and no lifeboats to escape in. Our own ship barely made it through the storm."

He glanced at the clouds and grimaced. "Great, we can't avoid it. We are too close to the storm now. With the speed that it must have moved in, we would be caught in it even if we tried to turn around. I'm sorry Bella."

I just shook my head. We walked around the ship for a while, me casting worried glances at the sky every few minutes.

That was when Emmett came up to us. "Captain, I'm sure you must have noticed the approaching storm. What can we do about it?" he asked uncertainly. Edward still tended to become unreasonable around Emmett and Jasper, though not nearly as badly.

"We can't do anything but brace ourselves and hope the storm passes swiftly," Edward replied gravely.

"Well, I think we can at least make sure everything is secure and will hold," Emmett argued.

Edward looked a little mad at the opposition to his opinion, but sighed. "Fine, go ahead." Emmett nodded in thanks and left to prepare the crew for the coming storm.

"Is there really nothing else we can do?" I asked. Edward shook his head and looked at me sadly, knowing I was afraid. I sighed. "Then let's go help prepare everyone for the storm."

"I don't think we have enough time to make sure the ship is in good order before it hits," Edward said, glancing at the sky.

I followed his gaze and gasped when I noticed how much faster the clouds seemed to be moving in. We would probably hit the storm in no more than a half hour. "Let's hurry then and get as prepared as we can before it comes."

Edward's POV

Bella was nervous, I could tell. I watched as she frantically began checking various parts of the ship, making sure everything was in good repair. I would have smiled at her care if I hadn't been worried about the reason for it myself.

She had told me about how her father's ship being caught in a similar storm and barely making it out. Her fears were reasonable, because as a pirate ship, we were not in as good a shape as a British Patrol Ship would have been. It would be a miracle if the Midnight Eclipse made it out of this in one piece. We did have emergency lifeboats, but even so, there might still be casualties.

I glanced at the sky again. It had been nearly half an hour since I had talked with Emmett and began preparing for the storm.

I honestly didn't know why I always felt the need to act belligerently toward Emmett. I could tell it bothered Bella, but I couldn't help it. I didn't even understand why I felt that way. I just did. I knew I would have to try harder to fight that strange feeling if I wanted to make Bella happy, but for now, I would settle for getting us out of danger in one piece.

The storm would be hitting us at any time. I could already sense a change in the air. The waves were starting to become wilder, less peaceful.

Within minutes, rain drops started falling lightly, the clouds overhead now being as dark and foreboding as those ahead of us. The rain began to pour heavier as time passed and the waves became violent, pushing and rocking our ship.

The storm came on fast after that. A mere ten or fifteen minutes passed during which the storm became violent. I turned to see where Bella was, planning on going to her side, offering her comfort. She was on the far end of the ship, holding onto the side rails. I started to head over to her.

The waves against the ship made the trip across the ship slow and extremely difficult. I nearly fell several times. I tried to determine the expression on Bella's face, but it was pouring too heavily. I could barely make out her shape in the storm.

A great peal of thunder sounded throughout the sky s a bolt of lightning lit up the heavens. In that flash, I was able to see Bella's face, and it caused my heart to beat faster. She looked so terrified, all alone. Several crewmen passed nearby, but no one stopped to help her. They were too busy looking for cover.

I forced myself to move faster,trying to reach my Bella's side as soon as possible. I paused. My Bella? Since when was she mine? It only took me an instant to realize I liked the title. Another _BOOM_ shattered the sky, snapping me back into reality. I needed to get to Bella.

Water from the waves was starting to slosh over onto the deck. The crashing waves were like fingers trying to pull men to their deaths in the ruthless ocean. The ship was now rocking violently. I didn't think we were going to be able to pull through this. _No!_ my mind cried. I would not give in to this storm. This would not be our last voyage!

I was almost to Bella's side when I noticed she was losing her grip. The waves were smacking into her, leaving her drenched and chilled to the bone by the wind. The rail was slippery, her hands losing their grip on the sides.

"Bella!" I yelled to her. She looked at me in fear. "Hold on! I'm coming!" She nodded and tried to keep her grip on the rail, but the crashing waves would not give in. With one last effort, one wave reared up and smacked right into her, just as the wind buffeted her forward, causing her to lose her grip completely and start pitching toward the icy depths. She seemed to regain her balance a little, but then another wave seemed to grab ahold of her and pull her into the ocean below.

The only thing I could think was _Not her_. She couldn't die. I wouldn't let the cold, heartless ocean have her. It only took me a split second to decide my course of action. I stripped off my boots and my shirt before running toward the edge of the ship, ready to jump in after her.

Emmett and Jasper must have seen my actions for they hurried to my side in order to prevent me from jumping.

"Are you out of your mind!" Emmett yelled while he and Jasper restrained me.

"No! Let me go! Bella is in the water and I have to save her!" I shouted at them.

"Em, let him go," Jasper said releasing me. He then turned to me. "Be reasonable Edward. If you go after her like this, you will both die. But, I'm gonna let you jump and save her while Em and I find a rope. We'll have it ready for when you have Bella, and then we will pull you guys up, deal?" he asked quickly.

"Fine!" I agreed, knowing that any argument I gave would lessen Bella's chance of survival. Emmett released me and left with Jasper to find a rope.

I took a deep breath and turned toward the water before jumping in after the one who made me feel alive again. Bella had changed me more than she could know, and I was not willing to lose her. This was the only thought that filled my mind as the chill water engulfed me. Upon impact, almost all of the air in my lungs rushed out and my eyes squeezed shut.

As soon as I was in control again, I surfaced and took a deep breath, opening my eyes. A moment later, I was back under the water, searching for Bella. I only had moments before it would be too late. The strength of the waves made it difficult to search, but as I looked around frantically, I spotted something. I surfaced to take another quick breath, and swam in the direction of the shape that could very well be Bella.

As I neared the object, I realized that it was indeed Bella, totally lifeless in the water. I grabbed onto her and pulled her to the surface as quickly as possible, looking desperately for the rope that would pull us to salvation.

It was there. I didn't even pause to sigh in relief, there was no time. I pulled Bella to the rope, and, holding onto her tightly, I tugged on it to let Jasper and Emmett know I was ready to have them pull us up. If she survived, I would have to thank them for helping me. I no longer felt such anger toward them.

Jasper peered over the rail, and seeing me, motioned for Emmett to help pull us up. Their combined strength managed to see Bella and I back on deck within moments. I was worried though, I wasn't sure if she was breathing.

As soon as I was back onboard, I turned to Bella to see that she wasn't breathing. "Bella, hang in there. Don't die on me," I begged. I applied pressure to her chest to ensure her heart kept beating before placing my lips against hers to force oxygen into her lungs.

I kept this up for over a minute, and was losing hope fast, when she coughed up water and inhaled sharply. She then began coughing as her eyes opened slowly.

I breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive. I didn't even notice that the storm was over in the panic to save Bella. It had indeed calmed quite a bit while I was worried about her. We would make it out of the storm in one piece, and Bella would be okay.

"Hey," she mumbled weakly. "What happened?"

"You were pulled overboard Bella," I told her. "I dove in after you. The storm seems to be just about over though."

She coughed again. "Thank you Edward," she said with a wince. I could imagine her throat felt like sandpaper right about now.

"Shh, don't talk right now," I told her as I scooped her up in my arms and carried her into my cabin. "You need to rest." I tucked her into bed and headed off to get her a glass of water for her throat. I was glad that she was going to be okay. For some reason, she had become my reason for existing, and I would be lost without her.

As I stepped out of the cabin, I looked into the sky to see a brilliant rainbow arching over our ship. I knew then that everything would be fine, and Bella would be back on her feet in no time. For now, I decided I would keep my revelation to myself.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please review and tell me what you thought of the chapter, and what you might like to see happen next. I hope I didn't make Edward seem too soft in this chapter... so let me know if you loved it or hated it and why! =) **

**~Twilightfan2694~  
**


	12. Chapter 10: Changes

**AN: I would like to apologize to all you readers for taking so long to update. I know, I skipped two weeks! The first week I was swamped with work and then last weekend I was sick and not up to doing anything. So, hopefully this chapter makes up for it a bit. I would like you to note that the action will begin soon! And I would like to thank all of you who reviewed! We've reached over 50 reviews! I'm really happy, but can we go for hitting at least 60 reviews this chapter? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters because my name is not Stephenie Meyer. Oh well, a girl can dream! =)**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 10: Changes**

Edward's POV

It had only been a few days since the storm, and the incident with Bella being pulled overboard. Since then, she had been encouraging me to come to terms with Emmett and Jasper, and preferably her other friends as well. I admit that I knew she was right, and I no longer held any ill will toward them, but I had no idea how to approach Emmett and Jasper, let alone the others. So, here I was, avoiding the inevitable. I would have to speak to Emmett and Jasper again sometime, as they were both important members of this crew.

I paced up and down in my cabin for the millionth time. No matter what, I was determined to talk with the two men today, even if I had to force myself to do so. I sighed and stopped my footfalls right before my cabin door. It was now or never.

I walked out of the cabin, looking as confident as possible, considering I was far from confident. I mean, how the heck was I supposed to thank the two men who helped me save Bella's life and apologize for acting like they had the plague? I hadn't the slightest clue.

After a few minutes thought, I decided that should talk with Jasper first, seeing as he seemed to be the more rational of the two. I ran my hands through my hair and sighed in frustration. What I wouldn't give for this to be over with! With a feeling of anxiety, I headed off toward Jasper and Alice's tiny room.

As I arrived outside the door, I took a deep breath and raised my hand to knock. Before I could, however, Alice opened the door and greeted me. "Hello Edward. I just wanted you to know that it means a lot to me that you are willing to patch things up between you and Jazz. And I would like to say that I hope we can be friends in the future, because I think of Bella as my sister, and let me tell you, it will be awkward if we aren't on speaking terms and I want to hang out with Bella." Wow. She said all of this so quickly and skipped out the door before giving me a chance to comprehend what she was saying.

"Ali, who is it?" Jasper called from inside. When he received no response, he came over to where I was still standing, dumbstruck, in the doorway. "Oh, hey Edward. What brings you here?" he asked awkwardly.

"Umm..." I trailed off. "I was wondering if we could talk about the events of the last few days?" I asked. Talking was good right? It would give me a chance to compose my thoughts and hopefully figure out how to get my point across.

"Sure, come in." He didn't seem to enthused about my visit, but I didn't expect otherwise. I had behaved rather rudely toward him because I was afraid of letting people in, and I also didn't like how close he was to Bella. She was mine! _Hold up Edward! Did you call her yours? You haven't even told her how you feel! She could always reject you._ I cursed the little voice in my head. Of course she was mine, until she told me otherwise.

I walked into the room and sat in the nearest chair, shifting uncomfortably, wishing I could turn invisible and just sink into the ground.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Jasper asked. Well, he certainly didn't waste any time getting to the point.

I took a deep breath before beginning. "Look, Jasper, I'm here to apologize for my behavior toward you in the past few weeks and I also wanted to thank you for helping me save Bella during the storm. You don't know how much that means to me. You never deserved my anger."

I had been staring at the floor throughout my whole speech, and I only now looked up to see how he was taking this information. He seemed to be frowning. Frowning was not good. I was determined to fix this situation, for Bella's sake at least.

"Well, I suppose I forgive your actions, and I certainly know how you feel about Bella," he said with a knowing look on his face. "I feel the same way about Alice. But, if you don't mind me asking, why did you act the way you did? I mean, why do I have a reason to forgive you for treating me like any other thug on this ship? I've always proven to be a loyal member of this crew, ever since before your father's death! You should have known you could trust me."

I sighed. He had served on this ship as long as I had, which is why I was now regretting my decision to talk to him first. Emmett had always known me to be difficult and standoffish. Jasper had known me before those times, during those times, and, dare I say it, after those times. So, I should have known there would be a lot of explaining to do.

"Well, I guess I wasn't really being rational and I was jealous. I mean, I've noticed Bella get into trouble with many males on and off this ship, and I guess I got upset seeing you so close to her. Like I said, I wasn't being rational. I know you have Alice, and I should have factored that in earlier. It took almost losing Bella and seeing that you cared enough to help me save her to snap me out of my delusions. Not to mention that I have trust issues with people. I'm not really sure why, but I don't feel entirely myself lately. I kind of feel like I'm normal half the time, but the other half of the time I am sort of watching events from within my mind and have no control over my actions. I'm not making sense am I?"  
He laughed. The idiot had the nerve to laugh at me! "I think I get what you are saying man, though I would be worried about the whole having no control deal. That could be dangerous and unpredictable."

"So, can we start again as friends, for Bella's sake if for nothing else? Set this issue aside and try to go back to old times?" I asked. I remembered that Jasper and I were pretty good friends when we were only kids. We both grew up on the Midnight Eclipse.

"Sure thing!" he said clapping me on the back. "I can already hear Alice squealing when she comes back. She seemed so sure you would stop by today, and she was quite excited by it. I admit, I'm nervous as to what I will find when she comes back!" he said with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, good luck with that one," I laughed. "I should get going. I still have to stop and speak with Emmett today. Do you think he will accept my apology?" I asked.

"Almost positive he will," Jazz replied. "Em is a good guy. He looks scary, but he has a heart of gold. Don't worry about it. Oh, by the way, can we agree to never speak of this conversation again? While I am glad to have talked things through with you, heart to hearts seem girly and I would never hear the end of this from the girls later."

"No problem!" I agreed. I didn't want to be made fun of either. "See ya!" I called as I headed out, feeling lighter than I had in days.

My nerves settled in again as I approached Emmett and Rosalie's room, but I decided to grin and bear it. I raised my hand and knocked.

"Coming!" came Rosalie's voice. I hid a grimace. Emmett might be likely to forgive me, but would Rose? She had seemed angry at the way I treated her and the rest of the gang lately. I don't think she was as forgiving as Jasper claimed Emmett was.

I was moments away from chickening out when the door opened to reveal Rosalie looking at me quizzically. "Umm, hi Edward. Do you need something?" She asked as she pulled open the door and gestured for me to come in.

"Uh, well, I was hoping to talk to Emmett?" I t came out sounding like a question rather than the statement that it was meant to be. "Is he around?"  
"Well, he is napping right now, but he should be waking up soon. Maybe you can just tell me what you intended to say?" She looked at me with a bit of a glare, as if she wished I would tell her already so I could leave.

"I can't. What I have to say to him is between the two of us alone, but I do have something to say to you as well. I want to apologize for my recent behavior Rosalie. As I told Jasper, I haven't been myself lately and I guess I felt uncomfortable around you guys. Thus the reason I was acting so hostilely. Must be a self-defense action."

She scrutinized my expression, no doubt trying to see if I was telling the truth. I looked at her evenly, making sure that it was evident that I was telling the truth. She sighed and looked down.

"It seems you are telling the truth, but I hate to accept your apology. I feel as if you don't deserve to get off so easy. I'll forgive you this time Cullen, but know this: I won't fully forgive you until you prove that you deserve forgiveness." I nodded. She was one of Bella's closest friends, meaning her forgiveness was important in keeping good relations with Bella. If Rose hated me, then Bella would either lose a friend or try to pull away from me.

"I understand Rose. I just hope we can work on becoming friends?" I asked.

She nodded. "Sounds reasonable. And I think Emmett slept long enough. I'll go wake him so you can talk things over with him."

I sat down and waited. I jumped when I heard what sounded like an irritable grizzly walk into the room. "Cullen! You better have a good reason for having my Rosie wake me up! Do you know how late you had me up patrolling the ship and making sure things were functioning properly? Wait, don't answer that, I know you do!"

I frowned. "Sorry Emmett. If I had known, I would have come back later."

He waved off my apology. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, tell me what was so important that Rosie had to wake me up?"

I told him much the same story as I had to Jazz. To my surprise, he stood up and thumped me on the shoulder with a laugh. "No worries man! I forgive ya! But next time, don't wake me up!" We laughed and joked for a few minutes before I decided I needed to get going, to which Em and I both agreed that, like Jasper, we would never reveal the contents of our heart to heart conversation to the girls. Although, Rose probably overheard it in the next room...

I left the room feeling on top of the world. I had made amends for my behavior, and I was well on the way to having friends, as well as the most amazing girl in the world. My life seemed to be changing for the better.

James' POV

I hissed in fury as I glanced into my crystal ball to see that the curse upon Edward was nearly broken. There were still several weeks before I had decided to leave, but I could wait no longer. A change of plans was necessary. I would have to head out immediately to stop this person, this _girl_ from breaking the curse. I scowled. My spying had revealed that her name was Isabella Swan, and that her father had been an enforcer of the seas. So, what she was doing on a pirate ship ruining all of my plans beat me.

I looked over at my painting of Victoria. "I will make sure the Cullen line suffers for your fate my beloved," I muttered to the portrait. With that I prepared to leave.

There was only one way to make sure this curse could not be broken. I needed to make Edward angry and then take this Isabella girl away from him. I would make her suffer for tampering with my plans. She would rue the day she ever met Edward Cullen!

With an evil cackle, I walked to the reserved part of my tower meant specifically for travel. I closed my eyes, raised my hands, and began my incantation. "_P__atefacio prodigium" _I chanted. The white portal began to open and I smirked. It was the beginning of the end for Isabella Swan.

* * *

**So what did you think of this chapter? Sorry, no Bella this chapter, but we will hear from her again next time! And the action has begun! Review and let me know how you liked this chapter... good? bad? in between? =) **

**~Twilightfan2694~  
**


	13. Chapter 11: The Sorcerer's Wrath

**AN: Sorry for the long pause in updates again. Because I was on vacation, I have no good excuse for not updating besides a case of writer's block. And that is a bad thing, especially since this chapter is one of the most important in the whole story. That's right, the plot is on the move and a lot is going to happen this chapter. I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who reviewed! And I would like to mention that I have written a one-shot if you haven't already read it. If you would be so kind as to read it and review. It is meant to be a horror story, the first one I have ever written. And now, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. That right is reserved for Stephenie Meyer only. **

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 11: The Sorcerer's Wrath**

Bella's POV

I was happy to hear that Edward had made peace with my small group of friends. I had been trying to convince him to speak with Carlisle and Esme, but he seemed afraid of their reaction, so I let it be. Today, Edward and I were planning on hanging out with Rose, Em, Jazz, and Alice. I was excited to finally be able to hang out with my friends and with Edward at the same time.

One thing was making me worried. Edward seemed to be feeling uneasy, almost the same as he had felt the day Em and I tried to remove the amulet. He said the feeling was different though. He said it was more that he was afraid something would happen to me than to him. I didn't really understand. I mean, we were friends, so why was he so worried about me? I may have felt more toward him than friendship, but I was fairly sure it was all one sided. Actually, to be honest, his hovering was starting to get on my nerves.

"Edward! I swear if you glare at one more crewman who just happens to glance in my direction or if you continue to hover over my shoulder and scowl like that, I'm going to toss you overboard!"

"Sorry," he muttered and backed off a bit. I sighed. He would be hovering again within minutes, I just knew it.

We arrived at Alice and Jasper's room, the appointed meeting place for the day. When we arrived, it was to find Alice looking worried and the others trying to make light of her fears.

"I just know something bad is coming! Will you take my warnings seriously for once! You didn't listen to me last time and look at what happened," she trailed off, looking distraught.

"Ali, what's going on? What has you so upset?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing Bella. Nothing you need to know about. I mean, you didn't listen to my last warning either. I just have the feeling something bad is gonna happen, but I'm not sure what it is."

She must have been very worried to tell me I didn't need to know and then to fill me in anyway. I frowned. Alice and Edward had both had a bad feeling on the day we tried to remove the amulet. They couldn't both be wrong, could they?

"Argh, between you and Edward, I'm starting to worry!" I complained.

"Wait, Edward? You mean, you have these crazy psychic feelings like Alice?" Emmett asked with a bit of a snort.

Edward shot him a glare. "No, I just get a bad feeling sometimes." I moved to sit down and he followed me, choosing to stand behind my chair rather than sit himself. Still doing the hovering thing I guess.

"Edward! Did I not talk to you about hovering before we got here? Sit Down!" I all but shouted at him.

He sat quickly. "Sorry, sorry. It helps keep me sane!" He explained.

"Oh, someone's in a bad mood today!" Jasper joked. I glared at him, to which he seemed to wither under my gaze.

"Bella, please stop trying to kill my Jazzy with your death glare!" Alice whined, snapping out of her worried thoughts long enough to notice Jasper squirming.

"Sorry, but you and Edward have me on edge, and I hate feeling helpless, especially when Edward is smothering me by hovering like that."

Edward frowned. "I have a really bad feeling right now guys."

I glanced at him. He seemed paler than usual and he seemed to have a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Edward? Are you okay? You look like you are coming down with something," I exclaimed.

"I'm fine. I just need some air," he muttered as he stood up to leave. He didn't get far, for he swayed on his feet before sinking back into his chair.

"Guy's help me with him!" I cried. "We should get him to the deck, help him get some air!"

Emmett single handedly scooped Edward up and carried him outside. I followed behind him, along with the others.

I gasped as I stepped out of the tiny cabin room. There was a dense layer of fog all around us. That had certainly been no where in sight when Edward and I entered the cabin less than an hour ago. As a matter of fact, it had seemed like it would be a bright sunny day.

I wasn't the only one who noticed the weather. Emmett sat Edward down and went into first mate mode. "Ahoy! You there!" he yelled to a nearby crewman. "What happened? Where did this fog come from and why did nobody come to tell me or the captain of the situation?"

"It came upon us only a moment ago, sir!" the crewman replied. "I swear, one minute the sun was out and the next we were surrounded by this dense fog!"

I frowned. I had never heard of fog just appearing like that. And this was a very dense fog, growing denser by the minute. It was now to the point that I could barely see more than three feet in front of my face.

"This is not good!" Edward said from beside me. I looked at him, fearing for his condition, but he seemed to be fine now. He was back into captain mode, but he still seemed on edge.

"Edward, what happened back there? Do you think it has anything to do with this fog?" I asked. The gang turned to look at Edward, waiting for his response.

"I don't really know what happened. One minute I was fine, the next I was feeling like my chest was being constricted, and then when I went to go get some air I just felt so weak. I don't understand it. As soon as I came out here, I was fine. I think it may be related to this fog. Like I said, this isn't good."

Just as those words escaped his lips, a white light appeared in the middle of the ship. It was the only thing we could really see off in the distance. The white light grew wider and wider. Finally, it was as wide as a common doorway.

The white light illuminated a figure emerging from the white doorway. Edward tensed and gripped my arm. "I don't like this," he muttered. "I don't like this at all."

Edward wasn't the only one who had tensed. Emmett and Jasper had both instinctively moved to protect Alice and Rosalie. I gulped and tried to hide my fear. This figure had appeared out of thin air! Who knew what someone with that kind of power could be up to.

The figure strode toward us, emitting its own menacing kind of light. The white doorway shrank down and vanished within moments. I shivered as the figure drew nearer.

A few moments wait revealed the figure to be a tall man with long, dirty-blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. His harsh, violet eyes glared in our direction, and I felt like he was targeting me specifically. He stopped a few yards in front of our little group and smiled.

"Long time, no see, Edward. It is just lovely to see you again after all these years," he said.

Edward stiffened. "Do I know you?" he asked.

The stranger just focused his gaze intently on Edward and twitched his hand a little at his side. I thought I saw him mutter something under his breath, but if so, then it was too quiet to make out any words.

Edward seemed to flinch slightly, just as I saw the amulet flash crimson. I had not seen it glow in weeks. This was definitely a bad sign. I looked at Edward to see if he seemed to have reverted back into that cold, violent person he had been when I was taken captive over a month ago. The only difference I saw in his eyes was that of distraction. He seemed to be a million miles away. I could only hope that he would come back to us soon.

Edward's POV

I saw the strange man's hand twitch at his side, moments before I felt the pain. It only lasted for a second, but it was enough to be painful. The source of the pain had been the amulet around my neck, a kind of power that I had turned my back on in order to be closer to Bella.

As the pain faded, I felt myself taken back to my childhood.

_I watched a younger me running along the deck of this very ship. He was looking for his father, for they were to have their daily sparring match soon. He had vowed to be as talented a swordsman as his father. _

_ The young me paused as a white doorway appeared out of thin air and a man stepped through. This man, he was the same as the stranger who had greeted Edward. He hadn't even seemed to age. Was he a sorcerer? Those were the only people I knew of that didn't age. _

_ I followed my younger self as he chased after the stranger, dodging behind barrels or crates along the floor so as not to be caught. I almost laughed at the antics of my young, carefree self. He had no idea that his hiding spot was lame and that the stranger could probably see him. I stopped myself from laughing, because, this explained why he might have recognized me, but not how he knew my name._

_ I was forced to stop outside of the captain's cabin, occupied at the time by my father. My younger self would not be allowed to enter. I remember this moment. I had spent the next few hours spying outside of my father's room, trying to find out more about the mysterious visitor we had. _

_ "Captain Cullen?" the man asked._

_ "Yes, may I have the privilege of knowing who it is that asks after me?" my father asked. _

_ "Ah, of course. I am the sorcerer, James. I believe you knew my wife, Victoria?"_

_ I couldn't see anything, but I had the feeling that my father had visibly paled. "Um, yes. I'm afraid she didn't survive."_

_ "I know you killed her! You didn't keep her safe from your men, too afraid to lose your title as a pirate!"James growled. _

_ "You don't know what you are talking about!" my father shouted._

_ "I know better than you think! I can see things you know, and when she disappeared, I looked after her only to see the way you were treating her!" James yelled back._

_ They continued to yell, but I was no longer listening. So, this man, James, was a sorcerer, and he knew who I was because he could spy on this ship. I cringed. If he could spy on this ship, then he knew how I felt about Bella. If he meant me harm...what if he hurt her! I had to stop him!_

And with that, I found myself back in the present. James was looking severely displeased, as if I was supposed to remain trapped in my memories.

"You- you were there on the ship all those years ago! You talked with my father and then he was never the same until after he died," I accused.

"Yes, I was," he replied with a smirk.

I growled. "What do you want, James?"

"What do I want? Hmm, good question," he muttered. "I just wanted to meet your newest friend, Edward. And I must say, she is lovely!" he said, moving toward Bella.

I couldn't let him hurt her! I drew my sword and attempted to lunge toward James. He raised his hand, pointed at me and said "excrucius." All I remember for the next few minutes was severe, crippling pain as I fell to the ground. This pain was a thousand times worse than the pain of having the amulet removed, though that in itself had been so painful I wanted to die.

For the time being, I could think of nothing but this all consuming pain. (_I almost left it here, but I felt that this would be too evil, and I owe everyone for taking so long to update)_

Bella's POV

I watched in horror as Edward moved to protect me, only to see the man called James strike him down with some kind of spell. So, he was the man responsible for Edward's curse? He had to be stopped, but was there any way? He seemed way too powerful.

While Edward was still writhing in pain, a shout drew my attention, as well as that of Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Carlisle and Esme who had come running out to see what was going on.

A lookout had noticed what appeared to be a ship that appeared out of nowhere. It wasn't off in the distance either. No, it was right on top of us. That thought barely had time to flit through my mind before chaos ensued. Pirates came swinging through the rat lines on their ship onto our own, weapons drawn.

"We're under attack! To arms! Protect your captain!" Emmett called out. I glanced down worriedly as I drew my own sword. Edward was still incapable of fighting.

Em, Jazz, Ali, Rose, Esme, Carlisle, and I formed a circle around Edward, prepared to defend him until he could defend himself. I scanned the deck through the fog, looking for James. However, he seemed to have vanished in the mist. As it was, I couldn't see any of the enemy pirates until they were right in front of me.

I fought my best, but no matter what, the invaders did not want to die. They would fall and from the fallen soldier, another two would appear in his place. The fallen were actually replicating, but there was no choice but to kill them because if you didn't, they would kill you. It was a lose-lose situation.

A huge bulky pirate came at me. I parried his sword and swung at him. He ducked and continued to hammer away at my defenses. I was being forced further away from Edward's side. He was just now beginning to surface from the pain, but he was still not up to fighting. I felt a brief pain in my left arm followed by a wet, warm, sticky substance. I turned. A short, stocky man had crept up on me and joined in with the tall bulky man. He had managed to swipe my left arm, but it wasn't a serious wound.

I turned to fight him as well. However, I soon found myself being faced by more and more pirates, being forced away from any allies. I glanced desperately toward my friends. Edward was back on his feet, sword in hand. He was fighting harder than usual, making up for lost time I assume. His fighting style was beautiful, almost like watching a dance- the dance of death. He had never been able to teach me to fight so gracefully.

I savored that vision of him, knowing I would soon be too outnumbered to keep fighting.

As if he knew of my desperation, Edward's head turned in my direction. His eyes widened in panic as he saw my situation. "Bella!" he yelled. Was it just me, or did his voice sound so far away?

Like clockwork, my other friends looked to me and saw my plight. "Bella! Look out!" Alice yelled. I turned just in time to duck an enemy blade.

I looked around the deck of the ship. Many of our crewmen were dead. The others were fleeing. The only ones continuing to put up much of a fight were me and my friends. And I was on the wrong side of the ship. The others were making their way toward me, but their progress was slow. Well, Edward was making good time. He was barreling through the enemy, chopping them down left and right. He had a burning look in his eyes.

Just then, I heard an evil cackle behind me and I understood the desperation behind Edward's eyes. James was lurking around near me. I turned to see him leering at me.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the one who threatens to break Edward's curse. I won't let that happen you stupid little girl!" he snarled.

"Why do you want to punish him? What did he do to deserve this!" I shouted at him.

"It wasn't him. It was his father. His father captured my beloved wife, Victoria. He didn't ensure she would be treated well on this ship, despite the fact that he had a reputation for his kindness. His kindness was for fellow pirates only, much like your Edward's kindness. He let his crewmen hurt my wife, and when she died, he had her tossed overboard! I vowed his family would suffer forever from that curse, until the last of their bloodline died out!"

"You're insane!" I cried. Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. His violet eyes glinted with anger and irritation. He looked up and I followed his gaze. Edward was only a few dozen yards away now. The fog had lifted mysteriously, as if James wanted everyone to see what was going to happen next.

I raised my sword and struck out at James. To no avail of course. I should have guessed that the stupid sorcerer would be able to block me. I continued to try to kill him anyway, but he would simply jerk his hand and my sword would hit some invisible barrier. I must have looked pathetic, swinging only to hit a shield. My arms seemed to grow weary so much sooner than normal. I couldn't keep this up. My swings became less and less frequent as my sword began to feel like led. Shortly after, I dropped it on the ground in exhaustion and fell to my knees. I felt so weak.

James took advantage of my weakness. He grabbed ahold of me with one hand, in a death grip. He raised his other hand and muttered some sort of incantation. Edward was a few yards away, yelling at James, cursing with fury.

"Edward! Help me!" I begged with fear clear in my eyes.

Edward's POV

Bella begging me to save her was tearing me apart. I felt helpless as I saw the white doorway reappear behind James. I tried to move closer to Bella, to grab her before James could get away, but I didn't seem to be making any progress.

James stepped back into the doorway and dragged Bella with him. Then, whatever spell that was stopping me from moving lifted. I lunged forward and tried to grab Bella's hand. I felt the tips of her fingers brush against mine before the doorway closed.

The last vision of her I had was that of a fallen angel. She had tears in her eyes, her hair loose around her shoulders, begging me to save her.

A voice seemed to linger in the breeze. It was James' voice. "_Edward. I suppose you must really want me dead now! Anyway, Bella and I are just going to get to know each other for a little while in my home. Feel free to come visit at Sorcerer's Seclusion. But don't wait too long, or it will be too late for your lovely Bella!" _His voice faded with a cackling laugh in the wind.

I fell to my knees. Bella was gone. What was I going to do now? I felt moisture in my eyes. This shocked me, for I had not cried in years.

My misery was interrupted by Emmett kneeling beside me. When I looked up, the others were kneeling around me as well.

"So, are we heading to Sorcerer's Seclusion? Or do you think it is a trap?" Emmett asked.

"Either way, it is the best lead we have, so I say we go!" I said.

"I'm in!" Jasper said. His declaration was followed by those of the others.

"Then it's settled. We head for Sorcerer's Seclusion to save Bella!" I growled, furious at James. Unnoticed by any of the others and dismissed by me was the brief flash of red given off by my amulet.

* * *

**There it is! Reviews might encourage me to think about ending this story happily. Without reviews, I might get sad and then just kill off all our favorite characters. Well, not really, but reviews are nice. Let me know what you thought! **

**~Twilightfan2694~ =)  
**


	14. Chapter 12: Planning

**AN: Sorry I haven't updated in so long. The only excuse I have is that I have been busy working on a term paper for English class. But really, I have mostly been hit by writer's block. Hopefully this update makes up for it, and I'll try to update more often in the future. As for my other stories, I'll just say that I have not forgotten them, I'm just focusing more on this story. On another note, I would really like to say thank you to everyone that has reviewed so far. We've finally reached over the 70 review mark. I'm hoping for at least 80 before next update. I really do appreciate every review that I get. Anyways, on with the story:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. If I did, then I would be named Stephenie Meyer, but sadly that isn't true. **

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 12: Planning**

Bella's POV

The last thing that I remember was seeing the desperation in Edward's face as James pulled me through the white doorway. I had briefly felt the brush of his fingertips on my hand before I was pulled through.

As we emerged on the other side of the doorway, I saw nothing but blackness. The place where we had stopped radiated evil, the darkness seeping into every minuscule space. It was all around me, pressing down upon me. This very place was unsuitable for life. No living being could survive here for long. And yet, James did. I began to wonder if this place merely reflected his black heart.

Every second I spent in this darkness caused the feelings of fear and dread to grow within me. I needed Edward to be here with me. He had become my everything in the past weeks, even if he didn't feel the same way about me. Without him, the darkness would quickly squeeze the hope out of me.

I felt like I was suffocating. James released his hold on me once the doorway was firmly shut, ensuring that I couldn't escape. No need for such precautions, I didn't have any strength in this place. I fell to my knees, gasping. The oppressing darkness continued to press down on me, my vision began to fade, and I knew I was going to pass out. At least, I was sure until James hauled me back onto my feet and dragged me in some direction, I wasn't sure which. Everything looked the same.

I forced myself to keep moving through the evil darkness, pulled along behind James. I tried to find my voice to ask what he wanted, but I couldn't bring myself to speak.

After what seemed like ages, I noticed a faint light ahead of us, and that one light gave me a little more strength.

"Ah, finally! I was getting sick of your dead weight. Now you can support yourself," James snarled at me.

I finally found my voice. "What do you want? What is this place?" I asked.

He cackled. "What do I want? I told everyone on board that wretched ship earlier that I wanted Edward to suffer for what his father did to me. I want that curse to forever remain unbroken, I should have ensured that it could not be broken when I first cast the spell, but I won't make the same mistake again. I will force Edward into a fury that will make it impossible to break the curse. Which is why I needed you.

Unfortunately, my dear, you seem to have a calming effect on Edward. I can't have that. You might eventually succeed in freeing him. So, I will lure him here to try to save you, only to snap into a rage which will reignite the amulet's power, trapping him forever." With that, James burst into uncontrollable laughter, the sound of which sent shivers down my spine.

"But Edward never did anything to you! He shouldn't be punished because of his father's mistakes!" I protested.

He sneered at me. "He is his father's son, he is no better. Why should I let such an abomination live out his life peacefully? No, he must suffer!"

As the light grew, my strength gradually returned. However, the light was only enough to fight off the overwhelming dread inflicted by the darkness. I was still too weak to fight James.

I looked to the source of the light. Ahead of us was a large dilapidated palace. There was nothing pleasant about the looks of the palace, surrounded by stone figures depicting creatures from nightmares. The palace walls were decorated with gruesome, menacing gargoyles. I gasped when the sight met my eyes. I had never before imagined such a ghastly abode.

James was still heading toward the towering structure. I could only assume that this was wear he lived. I shuddered. I did not want to place so much as one toe across the threshold of such a dreadful location, let alone be forced to enter it.

James grinned when he saw my hesitance. "What;s the matter? To afraid to enter my domain? Too bad!" With that, he yanked me ahead, closer to the building.

When I noticed that he was not going to grant me any sort of pity, I struggled weakly and in vain against his grip. He just pulled me along, gripping harder on my wrist when he noticed my feeble attempts to escape.

"Now, now, none of that! You know that you could not defeat me, and you wouldn't last five minutes out in that wilderness. I intend to keep you safe until your Edward gets here. It will be much more effective that way."

By this time, we were almost to the dark, dreary walls of the palace. I continued my struggles futilely up until we stood before the walls. The iron gates grated open with a harsh creaking, groaning sound. The sound alone was enough to cease my struggles, paralyzed by fear.

I was snapped out of my motionless state when James shoved me through the gate. I fell to the ground with a huff and turned just in time to see the gates thud to a close behind us.

James sighed and pulled me back to my feet before dragging me into the heart of his fortress. If ever I needed somebody to save me, now was the time. I needed a hero. I needed my Edward to come and save me from this monster.

I was pulled along through twisting corridor after twisting corridor. I tried to count the turns _left, right, two lefts, straight, right, left_, but I soon lost track. The inside of the dreary palace must have been larger on the inside than the outside, for there was no way that this many corridors could exist. We descended countless flights of stairs until we finally arrived at the dungeons.

James walked toward the prison guard and whispered something in his ear. The guard nodded and smirked at me. In that one glance, I saw evil in the man's eyes. As a matter of fact, the man didn't even appear to have any of his humanity left. He was more like a shell, programmed to do James' bidding.

James handed me over to the guard and turned to leave. He paused in the doorway of the dungeon, turned to me and winked. "Sleep well, Bella. Edward will be here to rescue you soon, and then I can begin my plan!" He laughed with glee and left.

I felt a pull on my arm, reminding me of the freaky jailer. I looked at him, pretending I was braver than I felt. This man was nearly as bad as James. "So, what should I call you?" I asked, attempting to be friendly. The man just sneered.

"Well, if you want to make small talk, you've got the wrong person. But I suppose you can call me Laurent." He then proceeded to pull me by the arm, right past all of the prison cells.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, the fear leaking into my voice, despite my attempts to hide it.

"Well, James told me to keep you in one piece, but he didn't say I couldn't have some fun," Laurent laughed.

I squirmed and fought against him, but to no avail. Laurent continued to drag me toward a room at the far end of the dungeon. I peered into it and gasped. The room had chains hanging from the ceiling, and a large assortment of torture devices.

Laurent grabbed my wrists and chained me to the ceiling. I saw him pick up a whip and walk behind me. A moment later, I felt a sharp pain across my back. I let out a yelp, earning a chuckle from Laurent. The whip came down again, harder than before, but I refused to give Laurent the satisfaction of hearing how much it hurt me. However, the one thing I could not stop were the tears that formed in my eyes.

The whip continued to inflict pain upon me, but I was beyond caring anymore. I was already in agony and my mind could not take anymore pain. Blackness descended on me, and I escaped to a place of solitude and peace, where I could imagine Edward coming to save me.

Edward's POV

_Bella was gone._ That was the only thought in my mind. I was a fool. I had developed feelings for Bella, but I had failed to realize my feelings before it was too late. I frowned. That would not do. I had to tell Bella how I was feeling. I sighed and looked at the sky. High noon. It was time for the arranged meeting between me, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme. We were the only ones who would really miss Bella. We were the ones determined to rescue her.

I knew where James said Bella was. We had all decided that we would head toward Sorcerer's Seclusion, but none of us knew exactly where Sorcerer's Seclusion was. Jasper seemed to have some sort of idea, but he did not have an exact location.

I opened the door to Bella's cabin. We had all agreed to meet here. Sure enough, the others were waiting for me.

"So, what have we got so far? Jasper, we need to know what you have heard about Sorcerer's Seclusion," I said.

Jasper sighed. "It's complicated, Edward. You see, I really don't know all that much." He seemed to be nervous about sharing whatever he did know.

"Jazz, please. It's for Bella. I know you swore never to reveal what you overheard that night, but Bella's life may depend on you breaking that oath," Alice pleaded.

He sighed. "Alright. I'll tell you, but only because it is for Bella." He closed his eyes. "It might take me a while to retell everything. I may not know much, but the story itself is complicated.

"It was a dark night about three years ago. We had pulled into port for the day, needing to restock our food supply. I went to the local bar with the intend of having a drink or two. I needed to unwind, it was a really long voyage. I'm sure you remember Edward? We attacked and looted several ships on the way? The great treasure discovery?"

I frowned for a moment, but when he mentioned the treasure, I remembered. That attack had been more like a massacre. "Yeah, I remember," I said quietly. I was not proud to remember the man I used to be.

"Well, I walked into the bar and ordered myself a drink before sitting down at the counter to relax a bit. These really creepy thugs were sitting next to me, whispering about something. I overheard their conversation.

"The first guy seemed to be worried about something. He was more normal looking than his creepy companion. He said something along the lines of ' Do you think James will be mad that we spent the night in the bar rather than keeping an eye on the boy?' The second man snarled at him and said 'Way to go Riley! Just blurt it out for anyone to hear. It isn't like Sorcerer's Seclusion is a secret, now is it?' The man, Riley, glared at the creepy guy and snarled something like 'Well, you just gave away more than I did Laurent, you idiot.'

"Laurent growled at him. 'James won't be pleased. Our mission to watch the boy is in jeopardy now.' Laurent got up and left the room, but the one named Riley remained behind. He noticed me a few moments later. When I noticed him, I didn't feel so bad about him as when Laurent was in the room. Riley turned and spoke to me. 'Hey, you there. I was wondering how much of our conversation you heard?'

"I turned to him and frowned. 'I only heard something about some place called Sorcerer's Seclusion and something else about watching a boy. I honestly have no idea what you are talking about. Where exactly is this Sorcerer's Seclusion?'

"He looked at me carefully before deciding I wasn't much of a threat. He said 'If you ever tell anybody what I am about to tell you, you'll regret it. Do you swear to keep my secret, even from my partner, Laurent?' I nodded. 'Well, Sorcerer's Seclusion is home to a creepy man named James. He is mine and Laurent's employer. From the way he acts, I think he really is a sorcerer. The island itself is trapped in some sort of eternal darkness. It's almost like the darkness grew out of James, but anyway, this darkness is enough to drive the strongest of men to his knees in moments. The island is surrounded by whirlpools and fierce waves. It is almost impossible to get there by boat. James usually opens a portal for our ship to pass through. We never would have survived this many missions otherwise.'

"I remember staring at Riley like he was insane. Then, I came back to my senses, determined to ask him who he was after, but something told me that I needed to leave. I turned to see Laurent making his way back to the bar where Riley and I were sitting. I turned to Riley and thanked him for telling me what he knew and then I swore again that I would keep my silence."

Jasper finished his explanation and looked at me. "As you can see, I really don't know all that much. I did some more research on Sorcerer's Seclusion in my spare time over the last three years, but all I gleaned from my search was that the island is located near the far eastern shore somewhere."

"That will have to do," I said. I looked at my other "friends." I guess I could call them that. Bella's friends were my friends. "We need to use whatever information we've got. Bella could be in serious trouble. You all heard James. He said Bella didn't have much time."

"But it could take days to get there!" Rosalie protested. "We could be too late if we go by ship. And that would still leave us to deal with the treacherous waters around the island."

I grimaced. "Yeah, that crossed my mind too. But does anyone have a better plan?"

It was silent for a few moments, all of us racking our brains for an alternate plan. All of a sudden, the silence was broken. "I have a plan!" Emmett exclaimed, making Rosalie and Alice jump, they being the closest to Emmett at the time.

I looked at him in surprise. Emmett was a good sailor, but he never seemed to be the one with ideas. "Shoot," I told him.

"Okay, well, Jasper said that James helped Riley and Laurent to get to and from the island. So we obviously need the help of a sorcerer, or t the very least, someone who knows magic, right?"

"Yes, but where do we find such a person?" Carlisle asked. Esme nodded in agreement to the question.

"That, my friends, is where I come in. You see, while Jasper was befriending creepy dudes in bars and looking up islands in the library, or wherever the heck he looked, I was making my own connections. I may have only served on board this ship for two years, but the year before joining, I learned a lot. Rose, remember when you were really sick, and I didn't think that I could help you?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah, then you came in with some guy who mumbled some weird mumbo-jumbo and I was better within days," Rosalie said.

"Right well, turns out the guy was a healer. He knew all sorts of magic, but would only use his magic to heal people. Now, all I really know about the guy is that his name was Diego and he lived on Sunset Isle."

"Sunset Isle? Isn't that about a day's journey to the west from here?" I asked. He nodded. "Well, either it will take time off our journey or it will add time to our journey. Do you guys think we should risk it?" I looked up at Bella's, no, my friends.

"I say we put it to a vote," Carlisle said. "All in favor of seeking out Diego, raise your hand."

I hesitated a moment before my hand went up. I looked around the room and noticed the vote was unanimous. "Well, looks like we seek out Diego's help getting to Sorcerer's Seclusion," I said.

I closed my eyes and thought _Hold on Bella. We're coming for you. I'm coming to save you!_

_

* * *

_**Review Please!**_  
_


	15. Chapter 13: Asking For Magical Aid

**AN: So sorry that I haven't updated in over a month. I've been busy with school band performances and homework. I have also been struggling to find a way to write this particular chapter. I had it started weeks ago, but I didn't like it. Thus, I redid the whole chapter. Hopefully this version is better than the original. And I hope that readers will still review despite the fact that I was a disappointment with how long it took to update. I really appreciate every review I get, even if I don't reply. I do have a plan for the rest of the story after this point. **

**Disclaimer: I, Twilightfan2694, do not own the Twilight Saga or any of the characters mentioned. That right specifically is reserved to Stephenie Meyer. **

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 13: Asking for Magical Aid**

Edward's POV

It took nearly a full day to reach Sunset Isle. I had stayed up with the rest of the crew, thinking over how best to convince Diego to help us save Bella. Emmett seemed to be optimistic in regards to securing Diego's help, but Rosalie wasn't so sure. She had told me that Diego seemed, from what she could remember of him, to be a stubborn man. If he said he would have no part of magic unless it involved healing, then she believed he would stand by his word.

None of our group of friends had slept since Bella's capture. None of us could sleep.

Upon our arrival at Sunset Isle, our group of friends divided into two search parties (me, Emmett, and Alice were one group, the other was made up of Rosalie, Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper.) Without a moment's rest, the search began in earnest. Emmett was having difficulty in remembering where Diego lived, and Rosalie had never actually seen the wizard's abode.

Our group paused many times to ask passerby if they knew where to find Diego. All of our efforts were to no avail. No one knew where the man resided. He was a secretive man, and it was said that only those who truly needed his help were able to find him.

Tempers in our group were running pretty short. I was impatient to find Bella. If James had hurt her in any way, I would kill him.

After hours of searching, I was beyond frustrated. "Emmett, we have been wandering around the island town for hours. Surely you must have remembered where you found Diego's home? Something must have sparked a memory? I mean, this is taking way too long! We must have been through the whole town at least twice by now, and that does not include Rosalie's group."

Emmett stopped and turned around angrily. "I'd like to see you do a better job. I'm doing my best, but it is impossible to think clearly when I have not slept in over 24 hours. Perhaps I would be able to find Diego if you allowed me to get a few hours of sleep!"

"We don't have time for you to rest! Who knows what is happening to Bella right now!" I shouted at him.

He glared at me and took a step forward like he planned to give me a good thrashing. I was not going to back down. He had crossed the line by hinting that it was my fault that we had not found Diego yet. I stepped forward in answer, daring him to throw the first punch. It was childish of me, but I could not keep my anger in check.

"Stop it!" Alice yelled. "Your childish acts are not helping us to find Bella! Now," she said in a calmer voice. "Edward, Emmett does have a point. We are all exhausted, and it is hard to think clearly, especially under pressure. And Emmett, Edward is right that we don't have time to rest. Bella could be in grave danger. I understand that you are tired and that you are doing your best, but you need to think rationally. Fighting will just waste time and will most likely result in one or both of you getting injured."

She was right. I sighed. Fighting would get us no where. "Sorry," I muttered to Emmett. "I know you are doing your best. I guess I'm just worried about Bella."

"We all are, and I am sorry too. I didn't mean to go off on you like that," Emmett answered. Suddenly, he froze. A far off look entered his eyes before a spark of recognition took over.

"That's it!" he cried. "I remember where to find Diego! It's not far from here."

"Well, lead on man. Let's go find this wizard and see if he will help us," I exclaimed, a flicker of hope causing me to feel a sudden spurt of energy.

Alice and I followed an unexpectedly energized Emmett. He led us swiftly down a few streets and alleys until we were at the outskirts of town. We followed him into a densely wooded area. Amongst the trees lay a well hidden little cottage with a thatched roof and small wooden door.

As the door came into view, I took the lead and walked up to the cottage, knocking on the door with a firm hand.

Our group stood outside the door for several moments without any answer. The hope that had been building amongst us began to dissipate a little as it seemed like once again Diego had disappeared on us.

"Maybe he isn't at home right now?" Alice whispered. I'm not sure why, but it seemed only right to whisper in such a secluded and quiet location.

Just then, the door swung open slowly. A short, dark haired young man peeked his head out.

"May I help you?" he asked in a pleasant, light voice.

"Diego! You remember me, don't you?" Emmett asked.

Diego turned to look at Emmett, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "Emmett McCarty? I haven't seen you in years. Rosalie is well, I hope?"

"Yes, Rosalie is quite well, thank you," Emmett answered. "I'm actually here on behalf of my friends. You see, we have a bit of a situation and we need your help."

"I would love to help. May I ask who your friends are, and who is ill? They both look to be in good health to me," Diego replied kindly.

"I'm Edward Cullen and this is Alice Whitlock," I answered. "May we come in?" I carefully avoided his question in regards to what we needed his help for. I had the feeling that Diego would not hesitate to slam the door in our faces.

"Yes, of course. Please come in," he answered.

We entered the wizard's home and sat down in chairs in the common room. Diego came in behind us and sat down nervously.

"Don't think I didn't realize you failed to mention who amongst your friends was in need of my help. I expect you to explain what I am needed for."

I sighed. I had hoped he would let that question rest for a few minutes at least. I had hoped to see what kind of man I was dealing with.

"Well," I began, "We don't really need a healer. But we do need you to open a portal for us to Sorcerer's Seclusion for us."

As I spoke, Diego's face paled. "Absolutely not!" he cried out. "If you knew how evil magic of that sort was, then you would not ask it of me. Magic is nothing to be trifled with, and it most certainly should not be used for transportation!"

"But sir, we really need your help," Alice implored.

He shook his head obstinately. "I cannot help you. I'm sorry."

"Please," Alice begged again. "One of our best friends was captured by a sorcerer named James. He took her there and we have to save her. There is no other way for us to get there safely. And we may not have time to travel there by land anyway."

Diego looked like he might change his mind for a moment before he shook his head once more. "I am truly sorry. I believe you deserve to know why I am so unwilling to help you.

"Years ago, my parents and I lived very far from Sunset Isle. As a matter of fact, we lived near Sorcerer's Isle. My father was a sorcerer, but he was not evil. I had his powers, for my mother did not have a drop of magic. I had no control over the use of my powers at the time, and they often got me into trouble with the town watch.

"One time, I was walking through town, when the town bully, Caius, started throwing stones at me. I tried to ignore him, walking much more quickly to get away from him, but he would not be deterred. He followed me, chucking stones at me the whole way. After a short time, I became angry. I turned to face him, rage contorting my face. He paused when he saw my fury, but it was too late. I didn't mean to do it, but I ended up causing every stone in a half mile radius to fly off the ground at once and strike Caius. He tried to run, but a violent wind blew about him and kept him in place. I am ashamed to say that Caius was badly injured.

"That wasn't the worst of it. Caius lived, but the town was very nearly destroyed by the winds. When it was discovered that I was responsible, my family was forced to leave town. We were to be given one day to get as far away as possible, before the town soldiers would be after me. If I were caught, I would be severely punished and forced into a lifetime of imprisonment. My mother did not wish that fate for me.

"Out of fear for me, she asked father to create a portal to Sunset Isle for our family. He did as she told him, though he was not sure he could hold the portal. Mother insisted I go first. I hurried through at her insistence, and then I turned to see her come through. She stepped up to the portal and was halfway through when my father lost control and the portal snapped shut.

"Now, the thing with portals is that anyone trapped in a portal when it closes is never seen again. They die. I have not seen my father since the incident, and I know for a fact that my mother would have been killed in that moment. It was all my fault, and I have refused to do anything with my powers besides heal since then.

"It is possible for someone with a great amount of power to hold a portal for a long enough time, but my father was unable to. It is possible that I could hold the portal for your ship, but I refuse to risk it. I won't be responsible for any more deaths."

I felt sorry for this poor man who had lost his family because of his inability to control his own powers, but I couldn't just leave. I noticed Alice had tears in her eyes, and even Emmett looked a little misty eyed, but there was no time to let Diego's insecurities and bitter memories put Bella's life at risk.

"I understand that you have had bad experience with your own powers, but we really need your help. You might not be willing to risk it, but I would risk everything. James has Bella, and he took her because of me. He took her to cause me a lifetime of pain," I said.

As I spoke, Diego seemed to waver in his decision. He seemed to be sympathetic. I could hardly finish speaking, the thought of Bella being in James' custody making me feel the pain I had mentioned.

"I never even got to tell her how I feel about her," I whispered, ashamed of the fact that a tear began a slow descent down my face.

Alice gasped and looked at me. Emmett just looked like his suspicions had been confirmed. Diego, well, he looked to be caught between a rock and a hard place.

"I may never get to tell her now," I concluded.

Diego frowned and looked at me sadly. "I- I don't know if I can do it. I don't think I can take the whole ship. I might be able to handle a small boat with a handful of people. And if you are all willing to risk your lives for this Bella, then I can try."

I looked up at him in surprise. "You mean you will help us?"

"Yes, I can see how hard her kidnap is on you and your friends. I can't guarantee that this will work, but if I can help, then I will. But you will have to make your own way back. You'll have to come back and visit if you succeed. Now, I suppose you will have to go fetch your other friends and decided if you are all going to go, or if a few of you plan to stay behind with the crew."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed. We stood up to leave, shaking Diego's hand, with a promise to show up with those who would join the search party first thing in the morning.

Soon after we left Diego, we ran into Rosalie's group. We told them of our meeting, and the plan for departure tomorrow morning.

"Well, of course we are all going to go," Esme insisted.

"No," I replied. "I need one or two of you to stay and look after the ship and the crew. I really don't need to come back to another mutiny."

"We'll stay," Carlisle said, indicating himself and Esme. "The rest of you would stand a better chance in the face of danger."

"Just be careful!" Esme begged.

"Of course," I said. "Does anyone else plan to stay behind?" No one answered. "Very well then. We leave bright and early tomorrow."

The next morning saw our group going to fetch Diego and have him accompany us to the docks, where Carlisle and Esme were preparing the miniature boat from our ship for travel. He seemed impressed by our large number.

"I never expected to see so many of you risk your lives like this," he said nervously. "Are you sure you want to risk it?"

"Sure as anything," I replied. The others nodded in acquiescence. Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, and I climbed into the boat and paddled out into a wide open space.

"_Patefacio prodigium_" Diego chanted. He seemed nervous but was doing his best to sound confident, like he was master of his powers.

A large white portal formed in the water before us. We paddled into it, and found ourselves facing a wall of black as the doorway behind us faded before disappearing.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and please review and let me know if you like where the story is going. I could use the encouragement. And thank you to those who do review. Every review I get makes me smile. **

**~Twilightfan2694  
**


End file.
